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Glite Dictionary
to turn in one's grave

to turn in one's grave

1 8.6
To think a dead person is very upset because something goes against what they cared about
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : revolverse en su tumba
  • You know, your mother would turn in her grave if she saw the world now.
  • father would turn in his grave

Examples

  • Your father must be turning in his grave.

    Alexander (2004)

  • George Orwell is turning in his grave.

    Blog text (12)

  • Father would be turning in his grave.

    Enola Holmes (2020)

  • "Your father would turn in his grave if he could hear you now.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Edward Said must be turning in his grave.

    Blog text (29)

  • I should sell it, but I'd love to do something that would really make Aunt March turn in her grave.

    Little Women (2019)

  • Your mother would turn in her grave if she knew what you're doing.

    In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011)

  • His father would be turning in his grave with jealousy.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Lord Reith must be turning in his grave.

    Blog text (32)

  • He would be turning in his grave if he could see the changes made to his beloved park.

Antonyms

to please
216 1.0

To make someone happy or satisfied

Surface Forms

turn in one's grave infinitive
turned in one's grave past
turned in one's grave past participle
turning in one's grave present participle
turns in one's grave third person singular

Morphology

turn + in + one + grave

The literal components ('turn' + 'in' + 'one's' + 'grave') create a clear physical image of someone moving in their grave, which conveys the idea of being disturbed after death. However, the expression is a conventionalized metaphor used to mean 'would be shocked/upset by something that happens after one's death,' and that specific idiomatic use and nuance may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.

Etymology

Turn in one's grave may come from a simple image: imagine a person who is dead being so shocked by later events that they would literally turn in their grave. That's why we say it to mean someone would be very 'shocked' or 'upset' by something that happens after their death.