ajoelhar

Portuguese

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.ʒo.eˈʎa(ʁ)/ [a.ʒo.eˈʎa(h)]
- (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /a.ʒo.eˈʎa(ɾ)/
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /a.ʒo.eˈʎa(ʁ)/ [a.ʒo.eˈʎa(χ)]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /a.ʒo.eˈʎa(ɻ)/

(Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.ʒwɨˈʎaɾ/
- (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐ.ʒwɨˈʎa.ɾi/

ajoelhar (first-person singular present ajoelho, first-person singular preterite ajoelhei, past participle ajoelhado)

(pronominal or intransitive, rare) to kneel (to stoop down and rest on one’s knees)
Os súditos se ajoelharam diante do rei.
The subjects knelt before the king.
(figurative, pronominal) to kneel (to accept defeat; to accept someone’s superiority) [with a or diante de ‘before someone’]
Synonym: genuflectir

Conseguimos fazer nosso inimigo se ajoelhar.
We were able to make our enemy kneel.

Ela ajoelhou-se ao professor.
She knelt before her teacher.
(transitive) to make someone kneel
Ajoelhei os prisioneiros com um cassetete.
I made the prisoners kneel with a truncheon.
(figurative, transitive, poetic) to subjugate (to forcibly impose obedience or servitude)
Synonym: subjugar

Roma ajoelhou seus vizinhos.
Rome subjugated its neighbours.

Conjugation of ajoelhar (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.