What does curtsying mean?
Curtsying is the act of performing a curtsy — a gesture of respect or deference in which a person, traditionally a woman or girl, bends the knees and lowers the body slightly, often extending one foot behind the other. It serves much the same social function as bowing does for men, expressing greeting, gratitude, or acknowledgement of rank, particularly toward royalty or figures of authority. The word derives from "curtsy," an altered form of "courtesy," so the gesture is etymologically bound up with the very idea of courtliness. Today, curtsying survives chiefly in ceremonial and traditional contexts: royal audiences, formal presentations, ballet, weddings, and historical reenactment. Outside these spheres it tends to appear playfully or ironically. Because of its strong associations with etiquette and hierarchy, the word carries an unmistakably formal, old-world flavour wherever it is used.
Performing a curtsy: bending the knees and lowering the body slightly as a sign of respect or greeting, traditionally done by women and girls.
"The bridesmaids were curtsying to the bride's grandmother as she entered the hall."
Formal register; typically associated with royal, ceremonial, or historical contexts.
The action or practice of performing curtsies, regarded as a skill or form of behaviour.
"Her flawless curtsying impressed everyone at the presentation ceremony."
Every curtsy you've ever seen is a descendant of "courtesy" itself — the word literally means performing a small act of courtliness, frozen into a bend of the knees.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of curtsying
"Curtsying" is the present participle of "curtsy" (also spelled "curtsey"), which arose in the sixteenth century as an altered form of "courtesy" — the gesture was originally understood as performing a small act of courtliness. "Courtesy" itself comes from Old French "corteisie," ultimately from Latin "cohors" (an enclosed yard, hence a court), the same root that gives us "court," "courtier," and "courteous." The word thus shares its deepest origin with the vocabulary of courts and courtly manners, and the variant spelling "curtseying" preserves the older English form.
Related word forms
How curtsying is actually used
Curtsying carries strongly formal, traditional connotations and is associated with ceremonial contexts — meeting royalty, formal presentations, ballet, and period drama. It is now largely restricted to these settings and to historical fiction; in everyday modern speech it often appears ironically or nostalgically. The spelling variant "curtseying" is common in British English, reflecting the older spelling of the base word "curtsey." Traditionally a female-coded gesture, its male counterpart is bowing.
Easily confused with curtsying
"Courtesy" is politeness of manner or behaviour in general, whereas "curtsying" is the specific physical gesture of respect performed by bending the knees — the two are historically linked but entirely different in meaning.
Bowing is the equivalent gesture of bending at the waist used by men, while curtsying is the knee-bending version traditionally performed by women.