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I'm aware of the difference between Prone vs. Supine vs. Prostrate, but I'm trying to find the opposite of the related word 'recline'.

Every web or dictionary search brings up 'upright' as the antonym for reclined. That's not what I mean.

Where I envisaged a reclining person on their back (supine), I'm trying to find the word for lying on one's front in the prone position.

A good example would be the stereotype of Romans eating on their stomach:

modern representation of Roman people lying on their front around a table of food and eating from it

Or this person reading while resting on a pillow:

Asian man lying on his front reading manga, propped up by a small cushion

If I were to use it in a sentence, it might be:

Derrek's partner reclined on the sunlounger, in contrast Derrek <word>ed by the pool.

I don't want to use the word prone, as I'm not using the word supine; 'prone' would feel out of place.

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  • Perhaps "pronate", which has the meanings of "place in a prone position" and "assume a prone position" as well as the meanings relating to rotation of the arms or feet. (see thefreedictionary.com/pronate).
    – Peter
    Mar 12 at 12:47
  • @peter please post that as an answer !
    – AncientSwordRage
    Mar 12 at 12:57
  • You mean lying on one's front!
    – Kate Bunting
    Mar 12 at 13:08
  • @KateBunting I'm not lying though 😜 not sure how that slipped by
    – AncientSwordRage
    Mar 12 at 13:10
  • Your example sentence appears wrong, Derrek's partner was supine while reclining; Derrek himself lay prone (which I guess might be an answer).
    – Andrew Leach ♦
    Mar 12 at 13:32

2 Answers 2

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It’s not great, and it’s not a perfect antonym, but how about sprawl?

“Derek sprawled by the pool.”

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    No. You can be sprawled on your back.
    – Jim
    Mar 12 at 19:33
  • "Sprawled" also means spread out, rather than lying compactly.
    – Peter
    Mar 14 at 3:40
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The word "pronate" has the meanings of "place in a prone position" and "assume a prone position" as well as meanings relating to rotation of the arms or feet. (see thefreedictionary.com/pronate).

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  • Does that work in my example sentence?
    – AncientSwordRage
    Mar 13 at 10:28
  • It seems a bit formal for the suggested context.
    – Toby Speight
    Mar 13 at 12:52
  • @TobySpeight also "in contrast Derrek pronated by the pool." Just doesn't work
    – AncientSwordRage
    Mar 13 at 16:44
  • Yes, that's what I said - too formal.
    – Toby Speight
    Mar 13 at 17:20
  • @TobySpeight I was pointing out it doesn't make sense, not that it's 'too formal'. It's unusual for Pronate to be intransitive.
    – AncientSwordRage
    Mar 13 at 18:31

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