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grave

grave

165 4.2
Very serious and needing careful attention
  • adjective
  • /ɡreɪv/
  • Formal
: grave
  • The effects of this lack of activity should be of grave concern to the parents.
  • a grave danger
  • grave consequences
  • a grave concern

It's that double, double combination that suggests just how grave the situation is.

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Examples

  • We are in grave danger here.

  • I think you're in grave trouble.

  • The country is face to face with a grave crisis.

  • There must be a grave reason.

  • When she came out, her face was grave but her eyes were dry.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • We are in a really grave pandemic.

  • You are in grave danger.

  • The sixth trend we face is that of grave global environmental and health problems.

    Academic text (2008)
  • We're in grave danger.

  • The doctor expressed a grave concern about the patient's health.

Synonyms

serious
vsgrave
∞ 2.0

Important and needing careful thought because it can have large effects

emphasizes dignity and deep thought rather than only importance
severe
vsgrave
577 3.5

Very strong and harmful, often causing great damage

is less about harsh intensity and more about dignified seriousness
heavy
vsgrave
105 4.5

Causing strong sadness or a feeling of burden

highlights composed dignity and thoughtful seriousness rather than sadness
solemn
vsgrave
  • Formal
81 4.7

Very serious and formal in a way that shows no humor

places more weight on inner thought and formal dignity
sober
vsgrave
32 4.6

Serious and sensible in behavior or tone

leans more toward deep thought and serious dignity
grievous
vsgrave
  • Formal
25 7.9

Causing great pain or sorrow

focuses more on measured dignity and deep thought than on harm
weighty
vsgrave
  • Formal
14 5.3

Serious and important, needing careful thought

focuses more on contemplative dignity than on broad influence
sedate
vsgrave
9 5.9

Calm and serious in a slow controlled way

is more about inner seriousness and importance than calmness

Antonyms

110 3.9

Not important or serious

102 4.1

Not important or too small to matter

Idioms

14 8.4

Keep a secret until you die

4 8.0

Almost dying because of old age or poor health

Lasts from a person's birth to their death

1 8.6

Stay loyal to someone until you die

silent as the grave
  • Literature
1 5.7

Completely quiet with no sound at all

7.1

To do something that makes you fail

8.6

To think a dead person is very upset because something goes against what they cared about

Compounds

Lasting for a person's whole life or for the whole time something exists

5 7.9

An illegal act of digging up graves to steal things or bodies

grave mound
  • Specialized
1 8.8

A heap of earth built over a grave in ancient times

grave accent
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A character used in computer text to show code or run commands

grave accent
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A small mark placed above a vowel to show how to say it

How Serious

dire
143 6.9
critical
800 4.0
grave
  • Formal
165 4.2
serious
∞ 2.0
minor
497 2.4

Surface Forms

grave positive
graver comparative
gravest superlative

Etymology

Grave comes from the Latin word gravis, meaning 'heavy'. So being grave is like having a 'heavy' feeling — serious, important, or thoughtful.