grave

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈgrāv 

1

: an excavation (see excavation sense 2) for burial of a body

broadly : a burial place

2

a

: death sense 1a

believes there is life beyond the grave

b

: death sense 4

grave

2 of 6

adjective

ˈgrāv 

in sense 3 often

ˈgräv 

graver; gravest

1

a

: meriting serious consideration : important

grave problems

b

: likely to produce great harm or danger

a grave mistake

c

: significantly serious : considerable, great

grave importance

d

obsolete : authoritative, weighty

2

: having a serious and dignified quality or demeanor

a grave and thoughtful look

3

a

of an accent mark : having the form `

b

: marked with a grave accent

c

: of the variety indicated by a grave accent

4

: low-pitched in sound

5

: drab in color : somber

gravely adverb

graveness noun

grave

3 of 6

noun (2)

ˈgrāv  ˈgräv 

: 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")

grave

4 of 6

adverb or adjective

gra·​ve ˈgrä-(ˌ)vā 

: slowly and solemnly

—used as a direction in music

grave

5 of 6

verb (1)

ˈgrāv 

graved; graven ˈgrā-vən  or graved; graving

transitive verb

1

a

: to carve or cut (something, such as letters or figures) into a hard surface : engrave

graved the dates of his birth and death on the headstone

b

: to carve or shape with a chisel : sculpture

2

: to impress or fix (a thought, a memory, etc.) deeply

3

archaic : dig, excavate

grave

6 of 6

verb (2)

ˈgrāv 

graved; graving

transitive verb

: to clean and pay with pitch

grave a ship's bottom

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• burial
• sepulchre
• sepulcher
• sepulture
• tomb

Adjective

• heavy
• serious
• weighty

Verb (1)

• engrave
• etch
• incise
• inscribe
• insculp [archaic]

Choose the Right Synonym for grave

serious, grave, solemn, sedate, staid, sober, earnest mean not light or frivolous.

serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

Examples of grave in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the forlorn boy put flowers on his mother's grave

a rock star who found his early grave in a plane crash

a terrible fear of the grave

Adjective

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.

Verb (1)

the doomed climber graved his initials into the rock face

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Authorities located Taylor's remains almost 12 years later, on Aug. 21, 2018, in a shallow grave in North Philadelphia, a Department of Justice news release said. —Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 4 May 2024

The next day, Bella and Celeste’s bodies were found in oil tanks where Watts worked, while her body was found nearby buried in a shallow grave. —Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024

The grave was thought to belong to two lovers dating to the medieval era, when horses commonly accompanied the dead, according to the study. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024

As George Johnson entered his mid-20s, his younger brother Nick was found dead in a shallow grave in north Phoenix at 18 years old, jaw broken and head riddled with shotgun pellets. —Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 1 May 2024

Palestinian authorities say the Israeli military exhumed existing graves at Nasser Hospital and dug new ones, adding that some of the bodies found in the newer graves were buried in black or blue nylon bags used by the IDF, rather than the customary white bags and shrouds used in Gaza. —Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 27 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, Blue lay in an unmarked grave in Louisville’s Eastern Cemetery until 2022, when Ms. Woods had a headstone installed. —Jingnan Peng, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Apr. 2024

This fearful posture explains why the CCP now casts economic development and national security as priorities of equal importance—a position that would make former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping turn over in his grave given the overwhelming priority Deng put on growth and development. —Evan S. Medeiros, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

Image Image My reporting first brought me to a strip mall in northeast Baltimore, where a Food Depot, Dollar General and Shoppers World sat on top of the remains of over 10,000 graves. —Caroline Gutman, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024

Adjective

Geyer said drug prevention programming should emphasize the potentially grave consequences of fentanyl use. —Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 8 May 2024

That is the highest rate in 23 years and has grave consequences for the economy. —Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 6 May 2024

Biden and a bipartisan chorus in Congress insist TikTok poses a grave threat to national security and affords China’s Communist rulers a powerful platform for spreading anti-American propaganda. —Clay Chandler, Fortune, 3 May 2024

The Jewish state, born out of a grave injustice — the Holocaust — was the rightful result of generations of oppression. —Jill Gurvey, Twin Cities, 2 May 2024

While describing the theft of the weaponry as a grave issue, Petro also warned that part of the military supplies could have ended up in the hands of Colombian guerrillas and other local armed groups. —Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 1 May 2024

Motivated by grave missteps in the pandemic, the WHO convened about 50 experts in virology, epidemiology, aerosol science, and bioengineering, among other specialties, who spent two years poring through the evidence on how airborne viruses and bacteria spread. —Amy Maxmen | Kff Health News, NBC News, 30 Apr. 2024

Specifically, whether a state may ban medical termination of a pregnancy if the woman's health, but not her life, is in grave danger. —Nina Totenberg, NPR, 24 Apr. 2024

For example, that one twin senses in their bones that their sibling is in pain, or struggling emotionally, or even in grave danger. —Zara Hanawalt, Parents, 19 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English græf; akin to Old High German grab grave, Old English grafan to dig

Adjective and Noun (2)

Middle French, from Latin gravis heavy, grave — more at grieve

Adverb or adjective

Italian, literally, grave, from Latin gravis

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Old English grafan; akin to Old High German graban to dig, Old Church Slavonic pogreti to bury

Verb (2)

Middle English graven

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1539, in the meaning defined at sense 1d

Noun (2)

1609, in the meaning defined above

Adverb Or Adjective

1683, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing grave

• a watery grave
• beyond the grave
• dig one's own grave
• drive (someone) to an early grave
• from (the) cradle to (the) grave
• go to one's grave
• grave robber
• have one foot in the grave
• swear on one's mother's grave

Kids Definition

grave

1 of 4 verb

ˈgrāv 

graved; graven ˈgrā-vən  or graved; graving

1

: carve sense 1, sculpture

2

: engrave sense 1a

grave

2 of 4 noun

1

: a hole dug to bury a body in

2

: tomb sense 2

grave

3 of 4 adjective

ˈgrāv,

 in sense 3 often  ˈgräv

1

a

: deserving serious consideration : important

a grave matter

b

: threatening great harm or danger

received a grave injury

2

: dignified in appearance or manner : solemn, serious

a grave and thoughtful look

3

: of, marked by, or being an accent mark having the form `

gravely adverb

graveness noun

grave

4 of 4 adverb or adjective

gra·​ve

ˈgräv-(ˌ)ā

: in a slow and solemn manner

—used as a direction in music

Etymology

Verb

Old English grafan "dig, carve"

Adjective

from early French grave "important, serious, weighty," from Latin gravis "heavy, serious" — related to aggravate, gravity, grieve

Medical Definition

grave

adjective

ˈgrāv 

: very serious : dangerous to life

—used of an illness or its prospects

a grave prognosis