grave
▪ I. grave 1 [grave graves graved graving graven] noun, adjective BrE [ɡreɪv] NAmE [ɡreɪv]
see also ↑grave 2
noun
1. a place in the ground where a dead person is buried
• We visited Grandma's grave.
• There were flowers on the grave.
2. singular (often the grave) (usually literary)death; a person's death
•Is there life beyond the grave (= life after death)?
•He followed her to the grave (= died soon after her).
•She smoked herself into an early grave (= died young as a result of smoking).
more at from the cradle to the grave at ↑cradle n., dig your own gravedig a grave for yourself at ↑dig v., have one foot in the grave at ↑foot n.
Word Origin:
Old English græf Germanic Dutch graf German Grab late 15th cent. ‘severe, serious’ Old French grave Latin gravis ‘heavy, serious’
Example Bank:
•A mass grave has been discovered in a wood outside the village.
•A mass grave has been discovered outside the town.
•He rescued her from a watery grave.
•His body is buried in an unmarked grave.
•I'll be in my grave by the time that happens!
•She puts fresh flowers on her husband's grave every Sunday.
•She smoked herself into an early grave= died young as a result of smoking.
•Some of the graves have been desecrated by vandals.
•The body was found in a shallow grave in a nearby wood.
•The grave was marked by a simple headstone.
•The mourners threw flowers into the open grave.
•The old lady still influences the family from beyond the grave.
•Whenever he goes home he visits his mother's grave.
Idiom: ↑turn in his grave
Derived Word: ↑gravely
adjective (graver, grav·est)(formal)
1. (of situations, feelings, etc.)very serious and important; giving you a reason to feel worried
• The police have expressed grave concern about the missing child's safety.
• The consequences will be very grave if nothing is done.
•We were in grave danger.
2. (of people)serious in manner, as if sth sad, important or worrying has just happened
•He looked very grave as he entered the room.
see also ↑gravity
Word Origin:
early 17th cent. French grave Latin gravis ‘heavy, serious’
Synonyms:
serious
grave • earnest • solemn
These words all describe sb who thinks and behaves carefully and sensibly, but often without much joy or laughter.
serious • thinking about things in a careful and sensible way; not laughing about sth: ▪ He's not really a very serious person. ◇ ▪ Be serious ▪ for a moment; this is important.
grave • (rather formal) (of a person) serious in manner, as if sth sad, important, or worrying has just happened: ▪ He looked very grave as he entered the room.
earnest • serious and sincere: ▪ The earnest young doctor answered all our questions.
solemn • looking or sounding very serious, without smiling; done or said in a very serious and sincere way: ▪ Her expression grew solemn. ◇ ▪ I made a ▪ solemn promise ▪ that I would return.
a(n) serious/grave/earnest/solemn expression/face
a serious/solemn mood/atmosphere
Example Bank:
•Her expression was grave.
•I fear you are making a very grave mistake.
•The judge was suitably grave as he addressed the accused.
•The police have expressed grave concern about the missing child's safety.
See also: ↑roll in his grave
▪ II. grave 2 [grave graves graved graving graven] BrE [ɡrɑːv] NAmE [ɡrɑːv] (also ˌgrave ˈaccent) noun
a mark placed over a vowel in some languages to show how it should be pronounced, as over the e in the French word père
compare ↑acute accent, ↑circumflex, ↑tilde, ↑umlaut
see also ↑grave 1
See also: ↑grave accent
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