grave 1
— graveless , adj. — gravelike , adj. — graveward, gravewards , adv. , adj.
/grayv/ , n.
1. an excavation made in the earth in which to bury a dead body.
2. any place of interment; a tomb or sepulcher: a watery grave.
3. any place that becomes the receptacle of what is dead, lost, or past: the grave of unfulfilled ambitions.
4. death: O grave, where is thy victory?
5. have one foot in the grave , to be so frail, sick, or old that death appears imminent: It was a shock to see my uncle looking as if he had one foot in the grave.
6. make (one) turn or turn over in one's grave , to do something to which a specified dead person would have objected bitterly: This production of Hamlet is enough to make Shakespeare turn in his grave.
[ bef. 1000; ME; OE graef; c. G Grab; see GRAVE 3 ]
grave 2
— gravely , adv. — graveness , n.
/grayv/ ; for 4, 6 also /grahv/ , adj., graver, gravest for 1-3, 5, n.
adj.
1. serious or solemn; sober: a grave person; grave thoughts.
2. weighty, momentous, or important: grave responsibilities.
3. threatening a seriously bad outcome or involving serious issues; critical: a grave situation; a grave illness.
4. Gram.
a. unaccented.
b. spoken on a low or falling pitch.
c. noting or having a particular accent () indicating originally a comparatively low pitch (as in French père ), distinct syllabic value (as in English belovèd ), etc. (opposed to acute ).
5. (of colors) dull; somber.
n.
6. the grave accent.
[ 1535-45; gravis; akin to Gk barýs heavy ]
Syn. 1. sedate, staid, thoughtful. GRAVE, SOBER, SOLEMN refer to the condition of being serious in demeanor or appearance. GRAVE indicates a weighty dignity, or the character, aspect, demeanor, speech, etc., of one conscious of heavy responsibilities or cares, or of threatening possibilities: The jury looked grave while studying the evidence. SOBER (from its original sense of freedom from intoxication, and hence temperate, staid, sedate) has come to indicate absence of levity, gaiety, or mirth, and thus to be akin to serious and grave: as sober as a judge; a sober expression on one's face. SOLEMN implies an impressive seriousness and deep earnestness: The minister's voice was solemn as he announced the text.
Ant. 1. frivolous, gay.
grave 3
— graver , n.
/grayv/ , v.t., graved, graven or graved, graving .
1. to carve, sculpt, or engrave.
2. to impress deeply: graven on the mind.
[ bef. 1000; ME graven, OE grafan; c. G graben ]
grave 4
/grayv/ , v.t., graved, graving . Naut.
to clean and apply a protective composition of tar to (the bottom of a ship).
[ 1425-75; late ME; perh. akin to GRAVEL ]
grave 5
/grah"vay/ ; It. /grddah"ve/ , Music.
adj.
1. slow; solemn.
adv.
2. slowly; solemnly.
[ 1575-85; grave gravis heavy; see GRAVE 2 \]