A. Snub
B. Pull
C. Fawn
D. Forage

Explanation:

The word kowtow means to show excessive respect, obey blindly, or behave in a very submissive way toward someone powerful. It originally comes from a Chinese tradition of bowing deeply.

So, a person who kowtows is basically over-respectful or too obedient.

The opposite of kowtow is snub, which means to ignore, insult, or treat someone with disrespect.

Therefore, Snub is the correct antonym of Kowtow.

Real-Life Example

Imagine two situations:

• A student keeps praising and agreeing with a strict teacher just to please them → this is kowtowing.
• Another student ignores or disrespects the same teacher → this is snubbing.

Excessive respect = Kowtow
Disrespect / ignoring = Snub

Main Points for Exams

• Kowtow means to behave very submissively or show extreme respect.
• It is often used for people who try too hard to please someone powerful.
• Fawn is a synonym of kowtow (not opposite).
• Snub means to ignore or disrespect someone.
• Therefore, Snub is the correct antonym of Kowtow.
• This vocabulary question is common in PPSC, FPSC, CSS, PMS, NTS, IELTS, TOEFL, and other competitive exams.

Quick Memory Trick

✅ Kowtow = Over-respect / Bow down
❌ Snub = Disrespect / Ignore

Respect too much ↔ Ignore completely
Kowtow ↔ Snub ✔️