grave 1 of 3

noun

ˈgrāv How to pronounce grave (audio)
Definition of gravenext
1
as in tomb
a final resting place for a dead person the forlorn boy put flowers on his mother's grave

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in death
the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities a rock star who found his early grave in a plane crash

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dead
the state of being dead a terrible fear of the grave

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

grave

2 of 3

adjective

ˈgrāv How to pronounce grave (audio)
1
as in serious
having a matter of importance as its topic leaving gossip and celebrities to other magazines, this journal focuses on the grave issues confronting the nation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury going over Niagara Falls poses a grave danger

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in solemn
not joking or playful in mood or manner when I asked him how his dog was doing, he looked grave and said, "Not good"

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in deep
having a low musical pitch or range a grave hexachord

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

grave

3 of 3

verb

ˈgrāv How to pronounce grave (audio)
as in to etch
to cut (as letters or designs) on a hard surface the doomed climber graved his initials into the rock face

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word grave different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of grave are earnest, sedate, serious, sober, solemn, and staid. While all these words mean "not light or frivolous," grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

When can earnest be used instead of grave?

The synonyms earnest and grave are sometimes interchangeable, but earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

Where would sedate be a reasonable alternative to grave?

The words sedate and grave can be used in similar contexts, but sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

When would serious be a good substitute for grave?

While the synonyms serious and grave are close in meaning, serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

In what contexts can sober take the place of grave?

Although the words sober and grave have much in common, sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

When is solemn a more appropriate choice than grave?

The words solemn and grave are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

When might staid be a better fit than grave?

In some situations, the words staid and grave are roughly equivalent. However, staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grave
Noun
With Christmas soon approaching, Ebenezer's old friend Jacob Marley (Michael Hordern) returns from the grave to offer Scrooge a chance at redemption through the haunting of three spirits. —Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025 Still more include a Hells Angel member was buried in Colma grave with his motorcycle in the 1970s. —Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
In one of America’s most grave-dense cities, there are Italian, Serbian and Japanese cemeteries. —Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025 And Auerbach shares his gravest concern for RMNP amid the staffing cuts. —Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
Las acciones de Google son especialmente insensibles y graves ante el cierre administrativo temporal del gobierno (shutdown), ignorando las peticiones de funcionarios gubernamentales y organizaciones hispanas que les solicitaron mantener la programación de Univision en el paquete principal. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025 Better yet, the superstar—who recently graved our TV screens on The White Lotus—worked with stylist Brett Alan Nelson to deliver custom outfits for the set. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grave
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grave
  1. tomb
  2. death
  3. dead
  4. serious
  5. dangerous
  6. solemn
  7. deep
  8. etch
Noun
  • The study’s findings could help archeologists better preserve the tomb — as well as the historically significant artwork within — for generations to come.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Instead, Thursday’s 28-6 loss to Baltimore, Miami’s seventh defeat in nine games, essentially shuts the tomb on another Dolphins season left for dead.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
Definition of tomb
Noun
  • The news came amid officials stating that a coroner found inconsistencies in her death, though discrepancies were not reported in 2018, and no autopsy was performed.
    — Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Weekly Newsletter Hamida’s first such meeting is with a twelve-year-old Hindu girl named Kammo, whose father abandoned her after the death of her mother.
    — JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
Definition of death
Noun
  • And yet Maram wanted to be there—to stand with her family members in those first fragile moments of quiet, to celebrate our survival and mourn our dead.
    — Mosab Abu Toha, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Four people were arrested in Conway on Tuesday in relation to a Saturday shooting that left a 17-year-old dead, a news release from Conway police says.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2025
Definition of dead
Adjective
  • Rule out any more serious conditions.
    — RikkiLynn Shields Hannigan, Health, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Springsteen has been open over the years about navigating depression, which began to get serious during his early 30s.
    — Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Definition of serious
Adjective
  • Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli is charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while traveling on an aircraft, according to a news release from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
    — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
  • This connection would become increasingly important over the twentieth century, as the rapid development of technological infrastructure created ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous sensitivities to geomagnetic storms.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of dangerous
Adjective
  • The monarch herself eventually selected the winner, an elegant and solemn portrait that was entitled Equanimity and eventually featured on the cover of Time magazine.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Each day brings more permanent residents, arriving in black hearses trailing solemn convoys of hazard-flashing cars to a place still served by generations of locals who cut granite memorials or pour sympathetic whiskeys.
    — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
Definition of solemn
Adjective
  • For deep crosses, timing is much harder.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The process of retrieving remains is plagued a deep sense of distrust that has prevailed between the two parties both throughout the past two years of war and in a ceasefire period already marked by dueling accusations of violations.
    — Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Definition of deep
Verb
  • Such devotion will remain forever etched in our hearts.
    — Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Pat McGrath is so etched in my soul, my heart, and my vision for what is considered beauty and glamour.
    — Tracee Ellis Ross, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of etch

Browse Nearby Words

gratuity
grave
graved
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Cite this Entry

“Grave.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grave. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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