grave

The word “grave” means a hole dug in the ground to bury a dead body. In plain terms, either the place where someone is buried, or (as an adjective) very serious and worrying.

“Grave” is pronounced grayv (/ɡɹeɪv/ in IPA).

Here is “grave” used in a sentence: “They stood quietly beside his grave.”

Words with a similar meaning to “grave” include grievous.

Depending on how it is used, “grave” can be a noun and an adjective.

The word “grave” comes from Latin. From Old English græf ("cave, grave, trench"), related to the word "groove". The adjective sense is a separate, later borrowing from Latin gravis ("heavy, serious").

“Grave” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Grave” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a hole dug in the ground to bury a dead body.

Both describe something of great importance, but 'grave' is stronger and implies real danger or cause for worry, as in a grave threat or grave illness. 'Serious' is more general and everyday, so all grave situations are serious, but not all serious ones are grave.

A grave is a hole dug in the ground to bury a dead body. A tomb is typically a larger, often above-ground or enclosed burial structure, so a grave is usually simpler and set into the earth.

Use 'grave' when emphasising worry or danger, as with grave concerns or a grave error. 'Severe' emphasises intensity or harshness, such as severe pain or severe weather, without the same sense of dread.

The adjective 'grave' frequently appears in phrases like grave danger, grave concern, grave mistake, grave situation, and grave consequences. These collocations stress seriousness and the risk of harm.