Explore Merriam-Webster
Origin and Etymology of grave
Middle English, from Old English grafan; akin to Old High German graban to dig, Old Church Slavonic pogreti to bury
grave
Definition of grave
1 : an excavation (see excavation 2) for burial of a body; broadly : a burial place
2a : death 1a believes there is life beyond the graveb : death 4
Origin and Etymology of grave
Middle English, from Old English græf; akin to Old High German grab grave, Old English grafan to dig
grave
Definition of grave
graved
;graving
transitive verb
: to clean and pay with pitch grave a ship's bottom
Origin and Etymology of grave
Middle English graven
Definition of grave
graver
;gravest
1a obsolete : authoritative, weightyb : meriting serious consideration : important grave problemsc : likely to produce great harm or danger a grave mistaked : significantly serious : considerable, great grave importance
2 : having a serious and dignified quality or demeanor a grave and thoughtful look
3 : drab in color : somber
4 : low-pitched in sound
5a of an accent mark : having the form `b : marked with a grave accentc : of the variety indicated by a grave accent
gravely
adverbgraveness
nounExamples of grave in a Sentence
This violation of school rules is a grave matter.
His carelessness could have grave consequences.
They have placed themselves in grave danger.
I have grave doubts about this plan.
suffering from a grave illness
The judge issued his ruling with a grave expression.
The French word père is written with a grave accent over the first e.
Did You Know?
Gravity has a familiar physical meaning but also a nonphysical meaning—basically "seriousness". Thus, something grave possesses gravity. You can refer to the gravity of a person's manner, though public figures today seem to have a lot less gravity than they used to have. Or you can talk about a grave situation, as in the example sentence. But even though Shakespeare makes a pun on grave when a dying character talks about being buried the next day ("Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man"), the word meaning "hole for burying a body" isn't actually related.
Origin and Etymology of grave
Middle French, from Latin gravis heavy, grave — more at grieve
Synonym Discussion of grave
Definition of grave
: a grave accent ` used to show that a vowel is pronounced with a fall of pitch (as in ancient Greek), that a vowel has a certain quality (such as è in French), that a final e is stressed and close and that a final o is stressed and low (as in Italian), that a syllable has a degree of stress between maximum and minimum (as in phonetic transcription), or that the e of the English ending -ed is to be pronounced (as in “this cursèd day”)
Origin and Etymology of grave
see 4grave
Definition of grave
: slowly and solemnly —used as a direction in music
Origin and Etymology of grave
Italian, literally, grave, from Latin gravis
GRAVE Defined for Kids
Definition of grave for Students
: a hole in the ground for burying a dead body
Word Root of grave
The Latin word gravis, meaning “heavy” or “serious,” gives us the root grav. Words from the Latin gravis have something to do with heaviness or seriousness. Something grave, or important, such as a situation, requires serious thought and consideration. To aggravate is to make a situation more serious. Gravity is a force that pulls everything towards the ground making it feel heavy.
Medical Dictionary
grave
playMedical Definition of grave
: very serious : dangerous to life—used of an illness or its prospects a grave prognosis
Learn More about grave
-
See words that rhyme with grave Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for grave Spanish Central: Translation of grave Nglish: Translation of grave for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of grave for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up grave? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!