grave

SayGRAYV/ɡɹeɪv/

Pluralgraves

Adjectivegraver, gravest

17 meanings of grave

Practice

1
burial placenouncountable or uncountable
A place where a dead person is buried, usually a hole in the ground.
We visited my grandfather's grave in the village cemetery.
They put flowers on the grave.
UsagePeople visit a grave. Dig your own grave means cause your own trouble.
Similartomb
2
very seriousadjective
Very serious in a bad way, often meaning dangerous or worrying.
Like a warning that something very bad could happen soon.
The patient is in grave danger after the crash.
They made a grave mistake that cost them everything.
UsageUsed with bad things: grave danger, a grave mistake.
Similarserious, important, critical, momentous
Oppositeminor, trivial, slight
Note
3
deathnoununcountable
Death, or the end of something.
Years of overwork drove him to an early grave.
The illness finally brought her to the grave.
UsageOften in drove him to an early grave.
Similardeath
4
solemnadjective
Acting serious and calm, not cheerful or joking.
Like the serious face a teacher makes when something important has happened.
The doctor's grave expression told us the news was bad.
He stayed grave throughout the entire ceremony.
UsageUsed for faces and voices: a grave look.
Similarserious, solemn, sober, sombre, somber
Oppositecheerful, lighthearted, flippant
Note

Less common meanings

5
noununcountable
People who have died, thought of as a group.
Similardead
Oppositeliving
Note
6
USGRAYV/ɡɹeɪv/UKGRAHV/ɡɹɑːv/
accent marknouncountable
The small backward-slanting mark written above a letter, as in 'à'.
Like a tiny tilted line sitting on top of a letter.
The French word 'là' has a grave over the a.
Add a grave above the vowel to show how it should sound.
UsageAlso called a grave accent.
Oppositeacute
7
deep (sound)adjective
Low and deep in pitch or sound.
Like the deep sound a big drum makes.
The big bell made a grave, deep sound that filled the hall.
Those low organ pipes give a grave tone.
Similardeep, low, bass
Oppositeacute
Note
8
verbarchaicintransitive
To cut words or shapes into stone, metal, or wood.
Deep lines were graven on her pale forehead, and on her wan, thin cheeks.
1872, James De Mille, The CryptogramHere, graven means cut or carved deeply, like lines in stone.
Thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel.
1611, The Holy Bible, King James VersionHere, grave means carve or engrave.
Note
9
verbobsoleteintransitive
To press something deep into someone's mind so that it stays there.
O! may they graven in thy heart remain.
1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “Solomon on the Vanity of the World. A Poem in Three Books.”Here, graven means fixed deeply in the mind so it is never forgotten.
Note
10
verbobsoletetransitive
To bury a dead person in the ground or a tomb.
Note
11
verbobsoletetransitive
To make a hole or trench in the ground by digging.
He hath graven and digged up a pit.
1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt (Tyndale Bible)Here, graven means dug out of the ground.
Note
12
adjectiveobsolete
Having great power and importance, with the right to be obeyed.
An illiterate fool sits in a mans seat; and the common people hold him learned, grave, and wise.
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of MelancholyHere, grave means important and respected.
Similarauthoritative, magisterial
Note
13
nounobsolete
An old unit of weight equal to one kilogram.
At the origin of the metric system the new unit of weight was called the grave, and was equivalent to the kilogram. The denomination grave would in some respects have been preferable to kilogram.
1899, John Sturgeon Mackay, Arithmetic Theoretical and PracticalHere, grave means an early metric unit of weight equal to one kilogram.
Note
14
clean hullverbobsoletetransitive
To clean the bottom of a ship and then coat it with tar.
Note
15
noun
A nobleman or official who governed a town or region in former times.
16
adjectivedated
Describes a dull, low speech sound, made with the lips or at the back of the mouth.
17
adverb
Very slowly and seriously: a word written on music to tell players how to play it.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of grave apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1, 3, 5

From Old English græf, meaning a cave, grave, or trench. It comes from an old root meaning to dig or scrape.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Grave derives from Old English græf. en.wiktionary.org
Old English græf meant a cave, grave, or trench. gutenberg.org
The word ultimately comes from a root meaning to dig or scrape. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 8–11

From Old English grafan, meaning to dig or carve. It comes from an old root meaning to dig or scrape.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

The verb grave descends from Old English grafan. en.wiktionary.org
Old English grafan meant to dig or carve. en.wiktionary.org
The word descends from an older root meaning to dig or scrape. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 2, 4, 6–7, 12

From Latin gravis, meaning heavy or important, borrowed through Middle French. The music term comes from Italian.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

English grave derives from Latin gravis through Middle French. en.wiktionary.org
Latin gravis means heavy or important. en.wiktionary.org
The musical term comes from Italian. en.wikipedia.org