tomb

1 of 2

noun

ˈtüm 

1

a

: an excavation in which a corpse is buried : grave

b

: a place of interment

2

: a house, chamber, or vault for the dead

3

: a building or structure resembling a tomb (as in appearance)

tombless

ˈtüm-ləs 

adjective

tomb

2 of 2

verb

tombed; tombing; tombs

transitive verb

: bury, entomb

Synonyms of tomb

Noun

• burial
• grave
• cemetery
• sepulchre

Verb

• bury
• inter

Examples of tomb in a Sentence

Noun

the tomb of Alexander the Great

explored the historic graveyard and saw tombs that dated back two centuries

Verb

Forest Lawn is where many of Tinseltown's immortals are tombed for all eternity.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For decades, tomb raiders have pillaged sites across the country, selling them on the black market. —Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 19 June 2026

Sergei Diaghilev’s production of Cléopâtre for Les Ballets Russes from 1909 and Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 fueled the beginning of the jeweler’s enchanting creations inspired by the lost civilization. —Jill Newman, Robb Report, 18 June 2026

Before Wednesday's service, Pope Leo lit a candle and prayed at the tomb of Gaudí in the basilica's crypt. —Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026

There are two dogs, for example, in Bartholomeus van Bassen’s painting of an imagined church interior with the tomb of William the Silent (pictured above, 1620). —Literary Hub, 10 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tombe, from Anglo-French tumbe, from Late Latin tumba sepulchral mound, from Greek tymbos; perhaps akin to Latin tumēre to be swollen — more at thumb entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tomb

• blume
• boom
• broom
• doom
• flume
• fume
• gloom
• glume
• groom
• loom
• plume
• rheum

Kids Definition

tomb

noun

ˈtüm

1

: grave entry 2 sense 1

2

: a house or burial chamber for dead people