gravel

1 of 3

noun

grav·​el ˈgra-vəl 

1

obsolete : sand

2

a

: loose rounded fragments of rock

b

: a stratum or deposit of gravel

also : a surface covered with gravel

a gravel road

3

: small calculi in the kidneys and urinary bladder

gravel

2 of 3

verb

graveled or gravelled; graveling or gravelling ˈgra-v(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to cover or spread with gravel

2

a

: perplex, confound

b

: irritate, nettle

disappointed … and graveled him a good deal

—Mark Twain

gravel

3 of 3

adjective

: gravelly sense 2

—used of the human voice

Synonyms

Verb

• addle
• baffle
• bamboozle
• beat
• befog
• befuddle
• bemuse
• bewilder
• buffalo
• confound
• confuse
• discombobulate
• disorient
• flummox
• fox
• fuddle
• get
• maze
• muddle
• muddy
• mystify
• perplex
• pose
• puzzle
• vex

Adjective

• coarse
• croaking
• croaky
• grating
• gravelly
• gruff
• hoarse
• husky
• rasping
• raspy
• rusty
• scratchy
• throaty

Examples of gravel in a Sentence

Verb

managed to gravel his opponent in the debate by focusing on atypical examples

Adjective

after his bout with laryngitis, he had a terribly gravel voice

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Mornings are silent but for the occasional crow of a rooster or the hum of a bicycle wheel on gravel. —Rooksana Hossenally, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

Stand on gravel or tile with confidence—podiatrists approve, and your feet will too. —Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 17 June 2025

Verb

The Sullivan Estate vineyard is on the valley floor at the northern edge of the Rutherford appellation, where predominantly gravel, sand, and loam soils provide excellent natural drainage and result in reduced vigor and low yields in a good year; 2021’s was reduced by 30 percent. —Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 15 June 2025

Riding The Volt Connect Electric Bike My wife and I live in an area with steep inclines, smooth roads, gravelled tracks and lush Scottish scenery. —Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

Adjective

Every Tuesday evening cyclists depart downtown at 5 P.M. and the pace ramps up to eye-popping speeds as the peloton spins along the paved and gravel roads outside town. —Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 24 July 2024

My gravel bike is a Trek Checkpoint ALR 5, which weighs about 25 lb, so the extra 7 pounds on the Turbo Creo 2 Comp didn't seem like a big deal. —Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, 18 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French gravele, diminutive of grave, greve river bank, stony ground

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1939, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gravel

• gravel-blind

Rhymes for gravel

• caval
• cavil
• gavel
• travel
• unravel

Kids Definition

gravel

1 of 3 noun

grav·​el ˈgrav-əl 

: small pieces of rock and pebbles larger than grains of sand

gravel

2 of 3 adjective

: gravelly sense 2

gravel

3 of 3 verb

graveled or gravelled; graveling or gravelling

ˈgrav-(ə-)liŋ

: to cover or spread with gravel

Medical Definition

gravel

noun

grav·​el ˈgrav-əl 

1

: a deposit of small calculous concretions in the kidneys and urinary bladder compare microlith

2

: the condition that results from the presence of deposits of gravel