grave
[noun]
burying place, crypt, mausoleum, pit, sepulchre, tomb, vault
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[adjective]
Synonyms:
- solemn, dignified, dour, earnest, serious, sober, sombre, unsmiling
- important, acute, critical, dangerous, pressing, serious, severe, threatening, urgent

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Antonyms: gay
Contrasted words: flippant, light, light-minded, paltry, petty, trivial, harmless, innocuous, temporary, transitory
Related Idioms: final resting place
Related Words: catacomb, crypt, vault, mausoleum, ossuary, cinerarium, heavy, ponderous, grim, sad, saturnine, awful, dreadful, horrible, terrible, deadly, destructive, dire, fatal, killing, murderous, frightening, ghastly, afflictive, severe

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English Thesaurus: serious, solemn, grave, sombre, earnest, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. grave¹ /ɡreɪv/ noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: græf]

1. the place in the ground where a dead body is buried ⇒ tomb:
At the head of the grave there was a small wooden cross.

2. the grave literary death:
He took that secret to the grave.

3. somebody would turn in their grave used to say that someone who is dead would strongly disapprove of something happening now:
The way Bill plays that piece would have Mozart turning in his grave.
⇒ dig your own grave at dig¹(8), ⇒ from (the) cradle to (the) grave at cradle¹(3), ⇒ have one foot in the grave at foot¹(24), ⇒ silent as the grave at silent(3), ⇒ a watery grave at watery(4)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. grave² adjective

1. grave problems, situations, or worries are very great or bad ⇒ serious:
Matthew’s life is in grave danger.
The report expressed grave concern over the technicians’ lack of training.
I have grave doubts about his ability.
The situation is becoming very grave.

REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually use serious rather than grave, and seriously rather than gravely:
I have serious doubts about whether he’s up to the job.
I’m seriously worried about her.

2. looking or sounding quiet and serious, especially because something important or worrying has happened Synonym : sombre:
Turnbull’s face was grave as he told them about the accident.
—gravely adverb:
Adam nodded gravely.
We are gravely concerned (=very concerned) about these developments.
⇒ gravity

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. grave³ /ɡrɑːv/ adjective
a grave accent is a mark put above a letter in some languages such as French to show the pronunciation, for example è ⇒ acute, circumflex

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

grave
noun
ADJ. deep, shallow The body was found in a shallow grave in a nearby wood.
open The mourners threw flowers into the open grave.
freshly-dug | unmarked His body is buried in an unmarked grave.
mass A mass grave has been discovered in a wood outside the village.
watery He rescued her from a watery grave (= saved her from drowning).
VERB + GRAVE dig | mark The grave was marked by a simple headstone.
desecrate Some of the graves have been desecrated by vandals.
PREP. beyond the ~ The old lady still influences the family from beyond the grave.
in a/the ~ I'll be in my grave by the time that happens!
on a/the ~ She puts fresh flowers on her husband's grave every Sunday.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

grave

dig a grave
In the churchyard, a man was digging a grave.
mark a grave
The stone marked the grave of their young daughter.
bury somebody in a grave (=put someone in a grave)
She was buried in a grave next to her older sister.
a shallow grave (=a hole that is not very deep in the ground)
They found the woman’s remains in a shallow grave in the woods.
a mass grave (=one that is filled with many people, especially people killed in a war or people who died of a disease at a similar time)
Plague victims were buried in a mass grave.
an unmarked grave (=one that does not have anything to show where it is or who is in it)
Until 1855, poor people here were buried in unmarked graves.
a family grave (=one where members of a family are buried together)
Walter died in 1922 and was buried in the family grave in Finchley cemetery.
an open grave (=one that has not yet been covered in earth)
He wept by her open grave.
a grave site (=the place where a grave is)
The President visited the grave sites of 12 youths killed in recent bombings.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

grave
I.
adjective
BAD: I don't have any grave problems.
GOOD: I don't have any serious problems.
BAD: Blackmail is a grave crime.
GOOD: Blackmail is a serious crime.

Usage Note:
grave = extremely serious and worrying, especially because someone's life or happiness is in danger: 'The situation has become increasingly grave and war now seems inevitable.' 'The shortage of food and medical supplies is giving rise to grave concern.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

grave
II.
noun
BAD: We went to see the 'Valley of the Kings', where the grave of Tut-mah-Amun was found.
GOOD: We went to see the 'Valley of the Kings', where the tomb of Tut-mah-Amun was found.

Usage Note:
grave = a place in the ground where a dead person is put: 'The coffin was slowly lowered into the grave.'
tomb (pronounced /tu:m/) = a place where a dead person is put. A tomb is usually made of stone and is above the ground: 'Our first stop was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

serious not joking or laughing, or not pretending:
His voice sounded serious.
They seem to be serious about their relationship.
solemn very serious because of an important or sad occasion or ceremony:
My father looked solemn, the way grown-ups look at funerals.
The judge read the verdict in a solemn voice.
grave written quiet and very serious – used especially about the way people look when something important or worrying happens:
She consulted Doctor Staples and returned looking grave.
He listened with a grave expression on his face.
sombre British English (also somber American English) /ˈsɒmbə $ ˈsɑːmbər/ written sad, quiet, or serious because something unpleasant or worrying has happened or is going to happen:
They sat in sombre silence.
The meeting began in a sombre mood.
earnest very serious and sincere – often used about someone who is young and not very experienced:
He was a rather earnest-looking young man.
‘That’s wrong,’ she said, her voice sounding very earnest.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

serious very bad – used about problems, accidents, illnesses, or crimes:
Violent crime is a serious problem in and around the capital.
The boy was taken to hospital with serious head injuries.
Fortunately, the damage to the car was not serious.
severe very serious – used about problems, injuries, and illnesses:
He suffered severe injuries in a car crash.
The problem became so severe that they had to bring water in from other countries.
severe epilepsy
grave used about a situation that is very serious and worrying, especially because it is dangerous or seems likely to get worse:
A thick fog descended and I knew that we were in grave danger.
The situation is grave – war now seems inevitable.
acute used about an illness, problem, or situation that has become very serious or dangerous, and needs to be dealt with quickly:
She was taken to the hospital suffering from acute appendicitis.
In San Diego, the shortage of skilled workers is acute.
desperate used about a situation or problem that is very serious or dangerous, especially because a lot of people need urgent help:
The situation is desperate – people here need aid before the harsh winter sets in.
The hospital is full of people in desperate need of medical attention.
critical used about a situation that is very serious and dangerous and might get worse suddenly:
In 1991, the food supply situation became critical.
Eight people were killed and four are still in a critical condition.
life-threatening used about a situation, illness, or condition in which someone could die:
Her child had a potentially life-threatening illness.
The situation was not life-threatening, but it was very worrying.
be a matter of life and death spoken to be extremely serious – used when a situation is very urgent or important:
For people living with HIV, getting the right treatment is literally a matter of life and death.
solemn very serious because of an important or sad occasion or ceremony:
My father looked solemn, the way grown-ups look at funerals.
The judge read the verdict in a solemn voice.
sombre British English (also somber American English) /ˈsɒmbə $ ˈsɑːmbər/ written sad, quiet, or serious because something unpleasant or worrying has happened or is going to happen:
They sat in sombre silence.
The meeting began in a sombre mood.
earnest very serious and sincere – often used about someone who is young and not very experienced:
He was a rather earnest-looking young man.
‘That’s wrong,’ she said, her voice sounding very earnest.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

grave
̈ɪɡreɪv
See: one foot in the grave , turn in one's grave or turn over in one's grave

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲