ground
[noun]
Synonyms:
- earth, dry land, land, soil, terra firma, terrain, turf
- stadium, arena, field, park (informal), pitch
- often plural: land, estate, fields, gardens, terrain, territory
- usually plural: dregs, deposit, lees, sediment
- grounds: reason, basis, cause, excuse, foundation, justification, motive, occasion, pretext, rationale
[verb]
Synonyms:
- base, establish, fix, found, set, settle
- instruct, acquaint with, familiarize with, initiate, teach, train, tutor

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Related Words: evidence, testimony, antecedent, cause, determinant, demonstration, test, trial, buttress, support, sustain

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English Thesaurus: field, stadium, ground, ballpark/park, court, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. ground¹ S1 W1 /ɡraʊnd/ noun
[Word Family: noun: ground, underground, grounding, GROUNDS; adjective: goundless, underground ≠ overground, grounded; verb: ground; adverb: underground]
[Language: Old English; Origin: grund]

1. EARTH [uncountable]
a) the surface of the earth
the ground
The leaves were slowly fluttering to the ground.
He lay on the ground and stared up at the sky.
The ground was frozen solid.
above/below/under ground
At night, badgers feed above ground.
These youngsters work 70 metres below ground level.
A raised platform stood two metres off the ground.
The air raids were followed by military action on the ground (=on land).
ground troops (=soldiers who fight on land)
b) the soil on and under the surface of the earth:
Dig the ground over in the autumn.
Plant the seeds 2 cm deep in the ground.
The ground was dry, far too dry for growing corn.

2. AREA OF LAND
a) [uncountable] an area of land without buildings, fences, woods etc:
The landscape is a mixture of open ground and woodland.
They were standing on the waste ground (=land in a town that is not being used) behind the car park.
b) [countable] (also grounds [plural]) an area of land or sea that is used for a particular purpose:
fishing grounds
parade/hunting/burial etc ground
These fields served as a hunting ground for the local people.
The rivers are used as dumping grounds for industrial waste.
He is buried in sacred ground. ⇒ playground(1)
c) grounds [plural] the land or gardens surrounding a large building:
We decided to take a stroll in the hotel grounds.

3. REASON grounds [plural] a good reason for doing, believing, or saying something
grounds for (doing) something
Mental cruelty can be grounds for divorce.
There are strong grounds for believing his statement.
have grounds to do something
Did the police have reasonable grounds to arrest him?
on moral/legal/medical etc grounds
The proposal was rejected on environmental grounds.
on (the) grounds of something
Flying was ruled out on grounds of cost.
‘You’re under arrest.’ ‘On what grounds?’
on the grounds that
We oppose the bill, on the grounds that it discriminates against women.

4. SUBJECT [uncountable] a subject or area of knowledge:
At meetings, we just keep going over the same ground (=talking about the same things).
His latest movie looks set to break new ground (=introduce new and exciting ideas).
familiar/home ground (=a subject etc that you know something about)
In his latest book, McManus returns to more familiar ground.

5. OPINION [uncountable] a general opinion or set of attitudes:
Often parents and teenagers find they have little common ground (=they do not share the same attitudes etc).
the middle/centre ground (=opinions that are not extreme that most people would agree with)
Both parties are battling to occupy the centre ground.
Careful, Laura. You could be treading on dangerous ground (=expressing opinions etc that might offend someone).
Each side was unwilling to give ground (=change their opinion).

6. SPORT [countable] British English the place where a particular sport is played ⇒ stadium:
a new football ground
It’s their first defeat at their home ground (=the ground that belongs to a particular team) all season.

7. hold/stand your ground
a) to stay where you are when someone threatens you, in order to show them that you are not afraid:
The men threatened him, but he stood his ground and they fled.
b) to refuse to change your mind about something, even though people are opposing you:
Jason vowed to stand his ground, even if it meant losing his job.

8. get off the ground to start to be successful:
Her show never really got off the ground in the UK.

9. gain ground
a) to become more successful:
It was feared that the extreme right would gain ground in the election.
b) if an idea, belief etc gains ground, more people start to accept it:
His theories gradually gained ground among academics.
c) to get closer to someone or something that you are competing with

10. lose ground to become less successful compared with someone or something you are competing with:
The Indian team seem determined to regain the ground they lost in the last game.

11. breeding/fertile/proving ground a situation in which something develops quickly or successfully:
The region, with its widespread poverty, provided fertile ground for revolutionary activists.
prepare/lay the ground (=to provide the situation or conditions in which something can develop successfully)
breeding/fertile/proving ground for
My task was to prepare the ground for the recruitment of support workers.

12. burn/raze something to the ground to destroy a city, building etc completely by fire, bombs etc:
The city of Tortona was burnt to the ground.

13. work/drive/run yourself into the ground to work so hard that you become very tired or ill:
Kay’s working herself into the ground trying to meet her deadlines.

14. on the ground in the place or situation where something important is happening, rather than somewhere else – used especially in news reports:
While the politicians talk of peace, the situation on the ground remains tense.

15. stamping ground British English, stomping ground American English informal someone’s stamping ground is an area where they are known or have a lot of influence:
I guess he’ll try to reach his old stomping ground to drum up support.

16. ELECTRICAL [singular] American English a wire that connects a piece of electrical equipment to the ground for safety Synonym : earth British English

17. grounds [plural] small pieces of solid material that sink to the bottom of a liquid:
coffee grounds

18. go to ground British English to make it hard for people to find you:
The man has gone to ground since his photograph was published in a national newspaper.

19. run somebody/something to ground British English to succeed in finding someone or something after a long search

20. BACKGROUND [countable] technical the colour used as the background for a design
⇒ cut the ground from under sb’s feet at cut¹(37), ⇒ have/keep both feet on the ground at foot¹(18), ⇒ suit somebody down to the ground at suit²(1), ⇒ be thin on the ground at thin¹(12), ⇒ hit the ground running at hit¹(24)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. ground² verb
[Word Family: noun: ground, underground, grounding, GROUNDS; adjective: goundless, underground ≠ overground, grounded; verb: ground; adverb: underground]

1. AIRCRAFT [transitive usually passive] to stop an aircraft or pilot from flying:
All planes are grounded until the fog clears.

2. BOAT [intransitive and transitive] if you ground a boat or if it grounds, it hits the bottom of the sea so that it cannot move:
Both boats grounded on a mud bank.

3. be grounded in/on something to be based on something:
Lewis’ ideas were grounded in his Christian faith.

4. CHILD [transitive] informal to stop a child going out with their friends as a punishment for behaving badly:
I got home at 2 am and Dad grounded me on the spot.

5. ELECTRICITY [transitive] American English to make a piece of electrical equipment safe by connecting it to the ground with a wire Synonym : earth British English
⇒ well-grounded
ground somebody in something phrasal verb
to teach someone the basic things they should know in order to be able to do something:
Most seven-year-olds are grounded in the basics of reading and writing.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. ground³ adjective [only before noun]
ground coffee or nuts have been broken up into powder or very small pieces, using a special machine ⇒ grind

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

IV. ground⁴
the past tense and past participle of grind¹

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

ground
noun
I. solid surface of the earth
ADJ. firm, hard | muddy, soft, wet | dry, dusty | fertile (often figurative) The fall of the old regime provided fertile ground for opportunism.
VERB + GROUND fall to, hit The helicopter burst into flames when it hit the ground.
reach She's so short, her feet don't reach the ground when she sits down.
get off, leave The plane was so overloaded it couldn't leave the ground. (figurative) His plan is too costly to ever get off the ground.
GROUND + NOUN level A waterproof membrane is built into the wall just above ground level.
PREP. above/below ~ The roots may spread as far below ground as does the foliage above ground.
in the ~ a hole in the ground
on the ~ He sat down on the ground.
under the ~ The tunnel goes deep under the ground.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

ground
II. area of land
ADJ. high, low The village stands on high ground and is not prone to flooding.
open | difficult, rocky, rough, stony, uneven | marshy
QUANT. patch, piece We found a patch of open ground in the middle of the woods.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

ground
III. piece of land used for a particular purpose
ADJ. burial | dumping | cricket, football, practice, rugby, sports, training | parade | breeding, feeding, hunting
PREP. at a/the ~ I'll meet you at the football ground.
in a/the ~ all the graves in the burial ground

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

ground
IV. grounds: land surrounding a large building
ADJ. extensive | castle, hospital, palace, school, etc.
VERB + GROUND be set in, have The palace is set in extensive grounds.
PREP. in the ~ (of) Many estate workers lived in cottages in the grounds of the castle.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

ground
V. area of interest/study/discussion
ADJ. familiar, firm, home I was on more familiar ground now that we were talking about our own system.
dangerous, shaky Legally, we're on very shaky ground (= our actions may not be legal).
safe | common Both parties in the debate shared some common ground.
VERB + GROUND cover, go over Several researchers have published articles covering this ground. We just seem to be going over the same ground that we covered last year.
PREP. on … ~ He knew he was on dangerous ground talking about money.
PHRASES break new ground Her architectural designs have broken new ground.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

ground
VI. grounds: reason for sth
ADJ. good, reasonable, sufficient, valid
VERB + GROUND have The constable had reasonable grounds for arresting her.
give (sb) His evasiveness gave grounds for the suspicion that he knew more than he was saying.
PREP. on … ~s Permission to open a mine was denied on environmental grounds.
on the ~s of He resigned from his post on the grounds of ill-health.
~ for Drunkenness at work was sufficient grounds for instant dismissal.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

ground
verb be grounded in/on sth
ADV. firmly His book is firmly grounded in memories of his own childhood.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

ground
noun
1.
BAD: The plane flew over enemy ground.
GOOD: The plane flew over enemy territory.

Usage Note:
FLOOR · GROUND · GROUNDS · LAND · TERRITORY · SOIL
The floor is the surface that you walk on when you are indoors: ‘Our cat likes to sit on the floor under my desk.’ ‘It’s about time someone cleaned the kitchen floor.’
The ground is the surface that you walk on when you are outdoors: ‘The ground was covered with snow.’ ‘In the middle of the forest was a bare patch of marshy ground.’
Grounds refers to the area surrounding and belonging to a school, hospital, hotel, stately home, etc, usually enclosed by a wall or fence: ‘Parking within the hospital grounds is strictly prohibited.’
Land refers to (1) an area of ground that is owned or used by someone, or that is controlled by a particular country: ‘All the land from here to the stream belongs to the Pattersons.’‘Disagreements about land have led to many wars.’
(2) (also the land ) the part of the Earth’s surface that is not covered by water: ‘After three days at sea, I was looking forward to being on land again.’
Territory is the area that is controlled by a particular country, army or power: ‘One of the results of losing the war was that the country had to give up almost half its territory.’ ‘They had wandered by mistake into enemy territory.’
Soil is the material in which plants and trees grow: ‘This plant needs rich soil to grow well.’

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2.
BAD: They do not have enough food or ground to grow it on.
GOOD: They do not have enough food or land to grow it on.

Usage Note:
See Language Note above

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3.
BAD: Gradually the ground loses the ability to hold water.
GOOD: Gradually the soil loses the ability to hold water.
BAD: My job is to analyse samples of ground.
GOOD: My job is to analyse samples of soil.

Usage Note:
See Language Note above

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4.
BAD: People who suffer from backache often sleep on the ground.
GOOD: People who suffer from backache often sleep on the floor.

Usage Note:
See Language Note above

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5.
BAD: The school building is very old and the ground is very small.
GOOD: The school building is very old and the grounds are very small.

Usage Note:
See Language Note above

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6.
BAD: A shot rang out and one of the men fell on the ground.
GOOD: A shot rang out and one of the men fell to the ground.
BAD: I fell on the ground, hoping that nobody had seen me.
GOOD: I fell to the ground, hoping that nobody had seen me.

Usage Note:
Use on the ground when you are thinking about position: 'Someone had dropped one of their gloves on the ground.' 'We sat down on the ground just outside the cage.'
When you are thinking about downward movement or (violent) movement from a standing position, use to the ground : 'The parachute failed to open and he plummeted to the ground.' 'The impact knocked him spinning to the ground.' 'They pushed him to the ground and grabbed his wallet.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

field (also pitch British English) a large area of ground, usually covered with grass, where team sports are played:
A few kids were playing on the football field.
a hockey field
stadium a large sports field with seats all around it for people to watch team sports or track and field competitions:
The atmosphere in the Olympic Stadium was amazing.
a football stadium
ground British English a sports field and the seats and buildings around it, belonging to a particular football, rugby, or cricket team:
I met my friends inside the ground.
ballpark/park American English a stadium where baseball is played:
Busch Stadium is one of the newest ballparks in Major League.
court an area with lines painted on the ground, for tennis, badminton, basketball, or volleyball:
The hotel has four tennis courts and a volleyball court.
diamond the area in a baseball field that is within the shape formed by the four bases. The diamond can also be the whole field:
The pitcher stands in the middle of the diamond.
There’s a playground, a picnic area, and a baseball diamond.
track a circular path with lines on it, for running on:
In the relay, each runner runs once around the track.
gym a room with machines which you can use to do exercises:
He spends an hour in the gym every day.
pool/swimming pool a place where you can swim:
He jumped into the deep end of the pool.
I’ll meet you outside the swimming pool.
sports centre British English, sports center American English a building where you can play many types of indoor sports:
Why not do exercise classes at your local sports centre?
health club a small sports centre, where you pay to be a member:
How much does it cost to join a health club?

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

the ground the surface of the earth, or the soil on its surface:
He collapsed and fell to the ground.
The ground was wet and muddy.
the ocean/forest/cave etc floor the ground at the bottom of the ocean, a forest, a cave etc:
Many wonderful creatures live on the ocean floor.
land used when talking about an area of ground that is owned by someone, or is used for an activity. Also used when talking about the part of the earth’s surface that is not covered with water:
His family owns a lot of land.
agricultural land
She got off the ferry, happy to be back on dry land.
terrain a type of land – used when talking about how easy an area of land is to cross, and whether it is rocky, flat etc:
The Land Rover is built to go over rough terrain.
The terrain gets flatter when you go further south.
earth/soil the substance that plants grow in:
The vegetables were still covered in black soil.
mud wet earth:
Your shoes are covered in mud.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

ground
to take away someone's privileges (usually used for teenagers)
The girl was grounded by her parents because she came home late too often.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

ground
̈ɪɡraund
See: break ground , common ground , cover ground or cover the ground , cut the ground from under , ear to the ground , feet on the ground , gain ground , get off the ground , give ground , happy hunting ground , hold one's ground , lose ground , middle ground , run into the ground , stamping ground , stand one's ground , from the ground up

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲