Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after adjectives

How to use “prostrate” with prepositions

Prostrate usually appears with before or occasionally at someone’s feet. Other combinations are generally not standard after the adjective.

Quick answer

Most common pattern

Use prostrate before someone to describe kneeling or lying down in submission or worship. On often describes physical position, not a complement selected by prostrate.

The pilgrims lay prostrate before the shrine.
He fell prostrate at her feet.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
prostrate before + person/place

Showing submission or worship

Before introduces the person, ruler, or sacred object receiving submission.

The crowd remained prostrate before the king.
2
prostrate at + feet

Describing physical position

At is used in phrases such as at someone’s feet.

She was prostrate at the altar steps.
3
prostrate on + surface

Describing location on a surface

On describes where the body is lying, not the complement of the adjective.

The soldier lay prostrate on the ground.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
prostrate before
The monks were prostrate before the statue.
standard for submission or worship
prostrate on
He lay prostrate on the floor.
on shows physical location
prostrate to
They bowed down to the ruler.
to is more natural with bow than with prostrate
prostrate in
She was prostrate in the hallway.
in introduces place, not a complement of prostrate

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using to after prostrate

Prostrate normally takes before for submission.

✕ They were prostrate to the emperor. ✓ They were prostrate before the emperor.

Confusing on with the main complement

On usually describes position.

✓ He lay prostrate on the beach.

Using at for submission generally

At works mainly in fixed physical expressions such as at someone’s feet.

✕ The crowd was prostrate at the king. ✓ The crowd was prostrate before the king.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The worshippers fell ___ the altar.
2. He lay prostrate ___ the grass.
3. She collapsed prostrate ___ his feet.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is prostrate before formal?

Yes. It is common in literary, religious, and historical contexts.

Can I say prostrate to someone?

It is uncommon after the adjective. Before is usually preferred.

What does prostrate mean?

It means lying flat or showing extreme submission or exhaustion.

packed-with-to-in-on, into "paid for" or "paid up"? painful for, to, in, at or of? "palatable to" or "palatable for"? "pale in" or "pale of"? "pandemic of" or "pandemic in"? "paramount to" or "paramount in"? paranoid about, of, in, with or over? partial to, of, in, towards or for? participating in, of, on, at or for? "particular about" or "particular to"? part-time at, in, for, as or with?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account