curtsy

1 of 2

noun

curt·​sy ˈkərt-sē How to pronounce curtsy (audio)
variants or less commonly curtsey
plural curtsies also curtseys
: an act of civility, respect, or reverence made mainly by women and consisting of a slight lowering of the body with bending of the knees

curtsy

2 of 2

verb

variants or less commonly curtsey
curtsied also curtseyed; curtsying also curtseying

intransitive verb

: to make a curtsy

Examples of curtsy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In March 2021, Sinema memorably did a curtsy while delivering a thumbs down on a provision to raise the federal minimum wage with a coronavirus relief bill. Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 He’s done his bows and curtsies, and now realism sets in. Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2024 And every time Catherine executes one of her balletic deep curtsies, the clip goes viral. Emily Zemler, Allure, 13 Dec. 2023 The monarch, 75, then embraced his daughter-in-law, 41, with a hug and kiss before Princess Kate dipped into a quick curtsy. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 26 Dec. 2023 Kate Middleton knows how to dip into the picture-perfect curtsy...even with obstacles! Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 21 Nov. 2023 As takes its final curtsy on Netflix, Left Bank Pictures is auctioning some of the royal drama’s most iconic items for a good cause. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023 The curtsy is an iconic moment in the first film of the franchise and marks one of Katniss’ earliest signs of rebellion. Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 As a gesture of respect, Princess Kate has dipped into deep curtsies to greet King Charles and Queen Camilla during formal events like the Order of the Garter ceremony day and their May coronation at Westminster Abbey. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 27 Oct. 2023
Verb
Being great at scoring a basketball must curtsy to the likes of the footsteps of Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart, Wilma Rudolph, Katherine Graham, Margaret Thatcher, Sandra day O’Connor, Oprah Winfrey and countless other female trailblazers. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 The couple stepped out with Crown Prince Christian and Queen Margrethe on Jan. 15 for the Danish Parliament's celebration of the new reign, where Queen Mary notably did not need to curtsy to her mother-in-law (who retains her Queen title) for the first time. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 22 Jan. 2024 King Charles then greeted his granddaughter Princess Charlotte, 8, in the same way, and Charlotte expertly followed protocol and also curtsied after their hug. Prince George, 10, and Prince Louis, 5, also hugged their grandfather. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 26 Dec. 2023 Men traditionally bow their heads while women curtsy. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 26 Dec. 2023 Her curtsies to the royal couple at the second annual Royal Carols: Together at Christmas last December even went viral online, though fans may have been surprised to see that Prince George and Princess Charlotte didn’t bow or curtsy as well. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 27 Oct. 2023 Though Collins forgot to curtsy during her most recent meeting with Kate, the two previously met at a Dramatic Arts reception at Buckingham Palace in 2014 and again at the Royal Variety Performance at the Palladium Theatre in 2017. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 27 Oct. 2023 Social media went into a frenzy when the first trailer for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes showed Rachel Zegler’s Lucy Gray Baird mockingly curtsy the same way Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen did in The Hunger Games. Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Whether or not players will bow or curtsy to the Prince of Wales, then, remains to be seen. Town & Country, 13 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curtsy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of courtesy

First Known Use

Noun

1533, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1553, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of curtsy was in 1533

Dictionary Entries Near curtsy

Cite this Entry

“Curtsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curtsy. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

curtsy

1 of 2 noun
curt·​sy
variants also curtsey
ˈkərt-sē
plural curtsies also curtseys
: a bow made especially by women that consists of a slight lowering of the body and bending of the knees

curtsy

2 of 2 verb
variants also curtsey
curtsied also curtseyed; curtsying also curtseying
: to make a curtsy
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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