Bow vs. Truckle — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 15, 2024
Bow involves bending the body in respect or submission, while truckle implies acting in a submissive manner to gain favor.
Difference Between Bow and Truckle
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Bow is a gesture of respect, acknowledgment, or submission typically involving bending at the waist. This action is often seen in formal or ceremonial contexts, such as greeting someone of higher social rank. In contrast, truckle refers more to a behavior or attitude of subservience or deference, often with the intention of pleasing or gaining favor from someone more powerful.
In many cultures, a bow is a common form of non-verbal communication used to show respect or humility. It is used in various social and religious settings. Whereas truckle usually connotes a negative aspect of submission, where the person may be seen as overly ingratiating or servile, often to an excessive or demeaning extent.
The physical act of bowing can range from a slight nod of the head to a deep bend at the waist. This range allows for a variety of expressions based on the depth and duration of the bow. On the other hand, truckling does not involve a physical gesture but rather a pattern of subservient behavior or actions aimed at currying favor.
Bowing can be a sign of mutual respect and does not necessarily imply inferiority, depending on the context and culture. On the contrary, truckling is almost always seen as a sign of weakness or inferiority, as it involves lowering oneself metaphorically to appease another.
While bowing is universally understood and can be found in many different cultures around the world, truckling is a more obscure term, often used in specific contexts or literary usage to describe overly submissive behavior.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A gesture of bending the body in respect or submission.
A behavior of acting subservient to gain favor.
Context
Formal, ceremonial, social, religious.
Often negative, implying excessive deference.
Physicality
Involves physical motion, varies in intensity.
No physical gesture, behavioral attitude.
Cultural Perception
Generally positive, respectful.
Generally negative, seen as servile.
Usage
Common and widely understood.
Less common, more specific or literary.
Compare with Definitions
Bow
A respectful bend of the body in martial arts.
Each student took a bow before beginning their routine.
Truckle
To yield or submit tamely.
During the negotiations, he was more inclined to truckle than to assert his position.
Bow
A knot tied with two loops and two loose ends, used especially for tying shoelaces and decorative ribbons
A girl with long hair tied back in a bow
Truckle
An act of ingratiating oneself with someone in power.
Truckling at work often led to favorable but unearned promotions.
Bow
A weapon for shooting arrows, typically made of a curved piece of wood joined at both ends by a taut string.
Truckle
To assume a lower position or status to please others.
He would often truckle to the opinions of others to avoid conflict.
Bow
A long, partially curved rod with horsehair stretched along its length, used for playing the violin and other stringed instruments.
Truckle
A truckle of cheese is a cylindrical wheel of cheese, usually taller than it is wide, and sometimes described as barrel-shaped. The word is derived from the Latin trochlea, 'wheel, pulley'.
Bow
A curved stroke forming part of a letter (e.g. b, p).
Truckle
A small wheel or roller; a caster.
Bow
A metal ring forming the handle of a key or pair of scissors.
Truckle
To be servile or submissive. ]
Bow
An act of bending the head or upper body as a sign of respect or greeting
The man gave a little bow
Truckle
A small wheel; a caster or pulley.
Bow
The front end of a ship
Water sprayed high over her bows
Truckle
A small wheel of cheese.
Bow
Play (a stringed instrument or music) using a bow
The techniques by which the pieces were bowed
Truckle
Ellipsis of truckle bed.
Bow
Bend the head or upper part of the body as a sign of respect, greeting, or shame
He turned and bowed to his father
She knelt and bowed her head
Councillors stood with heads bowed
Truckle
To roll or move upon truckles, or casters; to trundle.
Bow
Bend with age or under pressure
The creepers were bowed down with flowers
The roof trusses bowed as the wind fought to rip the roof free
Truckle
(intransitive) To sleep in a truckle bed.
Bow
(of a new film or product) be premiered or launched
The trailer bowed in theaters nationwide on December 23
The Pentium III bowed in early 1999
Truckle
(intransitive) To act in a submissive manner; to fawn, submit to a superior.
Bow
The front section of a ship or boat.
Truckle
A small wheel or caster.
Bow
Either of the sides of this front section
The starboard bow.
Truckle
To yield or bend obsequiously to the will of another; to submit; to creep.
Religion itself is forced to truckle to worldly poliey.
Bow
The oar or the person wielding the oar closest to the bow in a racing shell.
Truckle
To roll or move upon truckles, or casters; to trundle.
Bow
An inclination of the head or body, as in greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration.
Truckle
A low bed to be slid under a higher bed
Bow
A bent, curved, or arched object.
Truckle
Yield to out of weakness
Bow
A weapon consisting of a curved, flexible strip of material, especially wood, strung taut from end to end and used to launch arrows.
Truckle
Try to gain favor by cringing or flattering;
He is always kowtowing to his boss
Bow
An archer.
Truckle
To behave in a servile or submissive way.
He truckled to his boss's every demand.
Bow
Archers considered as a group.
Truckle
To act overly compliant or subservient.
She hated having to truckle to her supervisor for approval.
Bow
(Music) A rod having horsehair drawn tightly between its two raised ends, used in playing instruments of the violin and viol families.
Bow
A stroke made by this rod.
Bow
A knot usually having two loops and two ends; a bowknot.
Bow
A frame for the lenses of a pair of eyeglasses.
Bow
The part of such a frame passing over the ear.
Bow
A rainbow.
Bow
An oxbow.
Bow
To bend or curve downward; stoop.
Bow
To incline the body or head or bend the knee in greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration.
Bow
To yield in defeat or out of courtesy; submit.
Bow
To bend (the head, knee, or body) to express greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration.
Bow
To convey (greeting, for example) by bending the body.
Bow
To escort deferentially
Bowed us into the restaurant.
Bow
To cause to acquiesce; submit.
Bow
To overburden
Grief bowed them down.
Bow
To bend (something) into the shape of a bow.
Bow
(Music) To play (a stringed instrument) with a bow.
Bow
To bend into a curve or bow.
Bow
(Music) To play a stringed instrument with a bow.
Bow
A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.
Bow
A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow).
Bow
A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.
Bow
A stringed instrument (chordophone), consisting of a stick with a single taut cord stretched between the ends, most often played by plucking.
Bow
A type of knot with two loops, used to tie together two cords such as shoelaces or apron strings, and frequently used as decoration, such as in gift-wrapping.
Bow
Anything bent or curved, such as a rainbow.
Bow
The U-shaped piece which goes around the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
Bow
Either of the arms of a pair of spectacles, running from the side of the lens to behind the wearer's ear.
Bow
Any instrument consisting of an elastic rod, with ends connected by a string, employed for giving reciprocating motion to a drill, or for preparing and arranging hair, fur, etc., used by hatters.
Bow
(nautical) A crude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
Bow
(saddlery) Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
Bow
The part of a key that is not inserted into the lock and that is used to turn the key.
Bow
A gesture, usually showing respect, made by inclining the head or bending forward at the waist; a reverence
He made a polite bow as he entered the room.
Bow
(nautical) The front of a boat or ship.
Bow
(rowing) The rower that sits in the seat closest to the bow of the boat.
Bow
Obsolete spelling of bough
Bow
C|en|Foods}} {{alternative form of bao; any of several Chinese buns and breads
Bow
To play music on (a stringed) instrument using a bow.
The musician bowed his violin expertly.
Bow
(intransitive) To become bent or curved.
The shelf bowed under the weight of the books.
Bow
(transitive) To make something bend or curve.
Bow
To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
Bow
(intransitive) To bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference.
That singer always bows towards her audience for some reason.
Bow
To debut.
Bow
(intransitive) To defer (to something).
I bow to your better judgement in the matter.
Bow
(transitive) To give a direction, indication, or command to by bowing.
Bow
To cause to deviate from straightness; to bend; to inflect; to make crooked or curved.
We bow things the contrary way, to make them come to their natural straightness.
The whole nation bowed their necks to the worst kind of tyranny.
Bow
To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion.
Not to bow and bias their opinions.
Bow
To bend or incline, as the head or body, in token of respect, gratitude, assent, homage, or condescension.
They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
Bow
To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,; to crush; to subdue.
Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave.
Bow
To express by bowing; as, to bow one's thanks.
Bow
To bend; to curve.
Bow
To stop.
They stoop, they bow down together.
Bow
To bend the head, knee, or body, in token of reverence or submission; - often with down.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
Bow
To incline the head in token of salutation, civility, or assent; to make bow.
Admired, adored by all circling crowd,For wheresoe'er she turned her face, they bowed.
Bow
To play (music) with a bow.
Bow
An inclination of the head, or a bending of the body, in token of reverence, respect, civility, or submission; an obeisance; as, a bow of deep humility.
Bow
Anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow.
I do set my bow in the cloud.
Bow
A weapon made of a strip of wood, or other elastic material, with a cord connecting the two ends, by means of which an arrow is propelled.
Bow
An ornamental knot, with projecting loops, formed by doubling a ribbon or string.
Bow
The U-shaped piece which embraces the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
Bow
An appliance consisting of an elastic rod, with a number of horse hairs stretched from end to end of it, used in playing on a stringed instrument.
Bow
An arcograph.
Bow
Any instrument consisting of an elastic rod, with ends connected by a string, employed for giving reciprocating motion to a drill, or for preparing and arranging the hair, fur, etc., used by hatters.
Bow
A rude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
Bow
Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
Bow
The bending or rounded part of a ship forward; the stream or prow.
Bow
One who rows in the forward part of a boat; the bow oar.
Bow
A knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
Bow
A slightly curved piece of resilient wood with taut horsehair strands, used in playing certain stringed instrument
Bow
Front part of a vessel or aircraft;
He pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line
Bow
Curved piece of resilient wood with taut cord to propel arrows
Bow
Something curved in shape
Bow
Bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame
Bow
An appearance by actors or performers at the end of the concert or play in order to acknowledge the applause of the audience
Bow
A decorative interlacing of ribbons
Bow
A stroke with a curved piece of wood with taut horsehair strands that is used in playing stringed instruments
Bow
Bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head;
He bowed before the King
She bowed her head in shame
Bow
Submit or yield to another's wish or opinion;
The government bowed to the military pressure
Bow
Bend the head or the upper part of the body in a gesture of respect or greeting;
He bowed before the King
Bow
Bend one's back forward from the waist on down;
He crouched down
She bowed before the Queen
The young man stooped to pick up the girl's purse
Bow
Play on a string instrument
Bow
A gesture of lowering the head or upper body as a sign of respect.
He gave a bow as the audience applauded.
Bow
An act of bending the body in greeting or acknowledgement.
She performed a quick bow when she received her award.
Bow
A forward bending of the body in reverence or submission.
The knight took a bow before the queen.
Bow
A customary gesture of deference.
The performers took their final bow at the end of the play.
Common Curiosities
Can both bowing and truckling occur in professional environments?
Yes, both can occur in professional environments; bowing in respectful contexts and truckling in scenarios involving power dynamics.
Are there specific cultures where bowing is more prevalent?
Yes, in many East Asian cultures, bowing is a common and significant part of social, religious, and professional etiquette.
How does the perception of bowing differ from truckling in terms of leadership?
Bowing is often viewed positively as a sign of humility and respect in a leader, whereas truckling might be seen as a lack of backbone or integrity.
Can bowing be seen in both formal and informal settings?
Yes, bowing can be adapted to both formal and informal settings, varying in formality and depth based on context.
What is the main purpose of a bow?
The main purpose of a bow is to show respect, submission, or greeting without the need for words.
Is truckling considered a positive behavior?
Truckling is generally not considered positive; it implies excessive subservience and can be seen as demeaning.
How does one recognize truckling behavior?
Truckling is recognized by actions and attitudes that overly placate or lower oneself to appease someone in a position of power.
What are the consequences of truckling in the workplace?
Truckling can lead to a negative workplace atmosphere, diminished self-respect, and potentially unfair advantages or promotions based on favoritism rather than merit.
Is bowing still relevant in modern international settings?
Yes, bowing remains relevant and is widely practiced in many international settings as a sign of respect and cultural awareness.
Can bowing be misinterpreted in a cultural context where it is not the norm?
Yes, in cultures not familiar with bowing, it can sometimes be misinterpreted as subservience rather than a gesture of respect.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
