grave
1
[ greyv ]
/ greɪv /
noun
an excavation made in the earth in which to bury a dead body.
any place of interment; a tomb or sepulcher: a watery grave.
any place that becomes the receptacle of what is dead, lost, or past: the grave of unfulfilled ambitions.
death: O grave, where is thy victory?
Idioms for grave
have one foot in the grave,
to be so frail, sick, or old that death appears imminent: It was a shock to see my uncle looking as if he had one foot in the grave.
make (one) turn/turn overin one's grave,
to do something to which a specified dead person would have objected bitterly: This production of Hamlet is enough to make Shakespeare turn in his grave.
Origin of grave
1OTHER WORDS FROM grave
grave·less, adjective grave·like, adjective grave·ward, grave·wards, adverb, adjectiveWords nearby grave
graupel,
graustark,
grav,
gravadlax,
gravamen,
grave,
grave clothes,
grave-wax,
graveclothes,
gravedigger,
gravel
Definition for grave (2 of 5)
grave
2
[ greyv; for 4, 6 also grahv ]
/ greɪv; for 4, 6 also grɑv /
adjective, grav·er, grav·est for 1–3, 5.
serious or solemn; sober: a grave person; grave thoughts.
weighty, momentous, or important: grave responsibilities.
threatening a seriously bad outcome or involving serious issues; critical: a grave situation; a grave illness.
Grammar.
- unaccented.
- spoken on a low or falling pitch.
- noting or having a particular accent (`) indicating originally a comparatively low pitch (as in French père), distinct syllabic value (as in English belovèd), etc. (opposed to acute).
(of colors) dull; somber.
noun
the grave accent.
Origin of grave
2
1535–45; < Middle French < Latin
gravis; akin to Greek
barýs heavy
SYNONYMS FOR grave
1
sedate,
staid,
thoughtful.
Grave,
sober,
solemn refer to the condition of being serious in demeanor or appearance.
Grave indicates a weighty dignity, or the character, aspect, demeanor, speech, etc., of one conscious of heavy responsibilities or cares, or of threatening possibilities:
The jury looked grave while studying the evidence.
Sober (from its original sense of freedom from intoxication, and hence temperate, staid, sedate) has come to indicate absence of levity, gaiety, or mirth, and thus to be akin to serious and grave:
as sober as a judge; a sober expression on one's face.
Solemn implies an impressive seriousness and deep earnestness:
The minister's voice was solemn as he announced the text.
OTHER WORDS FROM grave
grave·ly, adverb grave·ness, noun un·grave·ly, adverbWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH grave
gravely gravellyDefinition for grave (3 of 5)
grave
3
[ greyv ]
/ greɪv /
verb (used with object), graved, grav·en or graved, grav·ing.
to carve, sculpt, or engrave.
to impress deeply: graven on the mind.
Origin of grave
3
before 1000; Middle English
graven, Old English
grafan; cognate with German
graben
OTHER WORDS FROM grave
grav·er, nounDefinition for grave (4 of 5)
grave
4
[ greyv ]
/ greɪv /
verb (used with object), graved, grav·ing. Nautical.
to clean and apply a protective composition of tar to (the bottom of a ship).
Origin of grave
4
1425–75; late Middle English; perhaps akin to
gravel
Definition for grave (5 of 5)
grave
5
[ grah-vey; Italian grah-ve ]
/ ˈgrɑ veɪ; Italian ˈgrɑ vɛ /
adjective
slow; solemn.
adverb
slowly; solemnly.
Origin of grave
5Example sentences from the Web for grave
British Dictionary definitions for grave (1 of 5)
grave
1
/ (ɡreɪv) /
noun
a place for the burial of a corpse, esp beneath the ground and usually marked by a tombstone
Related adjective: sepulchral
something resembling a grave or resting place
the ship went to its grave
the grave a poetic term for death
have one foot in the grave informal
to be near death
to make someone turn in his grave or to make someone turn over in his grave
to do something that would have shocked or distressed (someone now dead)
many modern dictionaries would make Dr Johnson turn in his grave
Word Origin for grave
Old English
græf; related to Old Frisian
gref, Old High German
grab, Old Slavonic
grobǔ; see
grave ³
British Dictionary definitions for grave (2 of 5)
grave
2
/ (ɡreɪv) /
adjective
serious and solemn
a grave look
full of or suggesting danger
a grave situation
important; crucial
grave matters of state
(of colours) sober or dull
phonetics
- (of a vowel or syllable in some languages with a pitch accent, such as ancient Greek) spoken on a lower or falling musical pitch relative to neighbouring syllables or vowels
- of or relating to an accent (`) over vowels, denoting a pronunciation with lower or falling musical pitch (as in ancient Greek), with certain special quality (as in French), or in a manner that gives the vowel status as a syllable nucleus not usually possessed by it in that position (as in English agèd)Compare acute (def. 8), circumflex
noun
a grave accent
Derived forms of grave
gravely, adverb graveness, nounWord Origin for grave
C16: from Old French, from Latin
gravis; related to Greek
barus heavy; see
gravamen
British Dictionary definitions for grave (3 of 5)
grave
3
/ (ɡreɪv) /
verb graves, graving, graved, graved or graven (tr) archaic
to cut, carve, sculpt, or engrave
to fix firmly in the mind
Word Origin for grave
Old English
grafan; related to Old Norse
grafa, Old High German
graban to dig
British Dictionary definitions for grave (4 of 5)
grave
4
/ (ɡreɪv) /
verb
(tr) nautical
to clean and apply a coating of pitch to (the bottom of a vessel)
Word Origin for grave
C15: perhaps from Old French
grave
gravel
British Dictionary definitions for grave (5 of 5)
grave
5
/ (ˈɡrɑːvɪ) /
adjective, adverb
music
to be performed in a solemn manner
Word Origin for grave
C17: from Italian: heavy, from Latin
gravis
Medical definitions for grave
grave
[ grāv ]
adj.
Serious or dangerous, as a symptom or disease.
Idioms and Phrases with grave
grave
see dig one's own grave; from the cradle to the grave; one foot in the grave; turn in one's grave.