Meaning of grave in English
Pronunciation
US accent
UK accent
Verb
graveEtymology
Old English grafan ‘dig’, of Germanic origin; related to German graben, Dutch graven‘dig’ and German begraben‘bury’, also to grave and grooveDefinitions
1. shape (a material like stone or wood) by whittling away at itExamples
- « She is sculpting the block of marble into an image of her husband »
- 2. carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface
Examples
- « engrave a pen »
- « engraved the winner's name onto the trophy cup »
Classifying Adjective
graveDefinitions
1. dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promisesExamples
- « a grave God-fearing man »
- « a quiet sedate nature »
- « as sober as a judge »
- « a solemn promise »
- « the judge was solemn as he pronounced sentence »
Synonyms
- 2. causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
Examples
- « a dangerous operation »
- « a grave situation »
- « a grave illness »
- « grievous bodily harm »
- « a serious wound »
- « a serious turn of events »
- « a severe case of pneumonia »
- « a life-threatening disease »
Synonyms
- 3. of great gravity or crucial import
Examples
- « requiring serious thought »
- « grave responsibilities »
- « faced a grave decision in a time of crisis »
- « a grievous fault »
- « heavy matters of state »
- « the weighty matters to be discussed at the peace conference »
Synonyms
Noun
graveEtymology
Old English græf, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch graf and German GrabDefinitions
1. death of a personExamples
- « he went to his grave without forgiving me »
- « from cradle to grave »
- 2. a place for the burial of a corpse (especially beneath the ground and marked by a tombstone)
Examples
- « he put flowers on his mother's grave »
- 3. a mark (`) placed above a vowel to indicate pronunciation