The boy dug a grave for his dog that had died.
Source: tatoeba (46350)
Grave
/ɡɹeɪv/
Synonyms for "grave" (585 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (117)
Noun(10 words)
abjectabominableacuteafflictiveagonizingannihilationarcharistocraticarrantassembleatrociousaugustaustereautolithographawe inspiringawe-inspiringawfulbanebaritonebarrow
Show 79 more words
basebassbe a printmakerbeehive tombbeggarlybiological deathbitingblackblackishbleakbone housebookboundary stonebox gravebrassburialburial chamberburial moundbustcairncalendarcalibratecarvecastcatacombcatacombscatalogcenotaphcessation of lifechalkchalk upcharactercharnel housechasecheck incheesychiselchroniclecistcist graveclinical deathcolumncomprehensiveconsequentialconsiderablecontemptiblecontraltocourtlycrampingcreasecribblecriticalcromlechcrosscrosshatchcrossing the barcrucialcruelcrummycryptcupcurtainscutcyclolithdangerousdarkdark-coloreddarkishdarksomedeadlydeathdeath knelldebaseddebt of naturedeceasedecorousdeepdeep sixdeep-echoing
Verb(2 words)
bury the bodybury the dead
Strong matches (176)
deep-pitcheddeep-toneddeepmoutheddegradeddemisedemuredeparturedeplorabledepraveddesperatedespicabledestructivedignifieddiredirtydisgustingdismaldissolutiondistressingdocket
Show 128 more words
dokhmadolmendoomdourdreadfuldreardrearisomedrearydriveduskduskydyingearnestebb of lifeelevatedenchaseendend of lifeendingengraveenrollenscrollenteretcheternal restexcruciatingexecrableexhaustiveexitexpirationextinctionextinguishmentfatalfatefulfellfilefill outfinal summonsfinger of deathflagrantfootstoneformalformidablefoulfoundfrowningfullfulsomefunebrialfunerealfurrowgloomygnawinggoinggoing offgrandgravestonegraygreatgreygrievousgrimgrim-facedgrim-visagedgripinggroovegrosshammerhand of deathhardharrowingharshhatchheadstoneheavyheinoushighhoarstonehollowhorriblehouse of deathhurtfulhurtingimpanelimportantimposingimpressimprintinciseinculcateindexinfixingraininscribeinscriptioninsculptureinsertinspiringinstillintenseirresistiblejaws of deathjotjot downkillingkinglyknelllast debtlast homelast musterlast restlast rounduplast sleepleaving lifelinelistlithographlittleloftyloglong facedlong homelong-facedlordlyloss of lifelowlow downlow green tent
Adjective(13 words)
Noun(13 words)
Related words (292)
low houselow-downlow-pitchedlumpenmagisterialmainmajesticmajormake a memorandummake a notemake an entrymake outmake printsmaking an endmangymarkmark downmarkermastabamatriculate
Show 209 more words
mausoleummaximummeanmeaslymegalithmementomemorialmemorial archmemorial columnmemorial statuememorial stonememorializemenhirmightyminutemiserablemodelmoderatemoldmonolithmonstrancemonstrousmonumentmoundmovingmummy chambermurderousnarrow housenecrologynefariousnigrescentno-nonsensenoblenotenote downobeliskobituaryobnoxiousodiousossuariumossuarypainfulpaltryparoxysmalpartingpassage gravepassingpassing awaypassing overpensiveperilousperishingpettypiercingpillarpitpivotalplace upon recordplaqueplenarypoignantpoker facedpokypollponderouspoorportentouspostpost uppoundpowerfulpressingprincelyprintprizepungentput downput in writingput on paperput on tapepyramidqueenlyquietusrackingrankrecordreduce to writingregalregisterreleasereliquaryremembrancereptilianrestresting placerewardribbonrostral columnroyalsadsaturninescabbyscorescrapescratchscribescrubbyscruffysculpsculptsculpturescummyscurvysedateself-containedsentence of deathsepulchersepulchralsepultureseriousset downsevereshabbyshades of deathshadow of deathshaftshaft gravesharpshoddyshootingshrinesleepsmallsobersober-mindedsobersidedsoldersolemnsomatic deathsombersombresombrousspasmaticspasmicspasmodicsqualidstabbingstaidstampstatelystatuesquestelasternstingingstipplestonestone facedstone-facedstraight facedstraight-facedstrongstupasubduedsublimesummons of deathswartswarthytablettabulatetake downtapetape-recordtemperateterribletestimonialthoughtfultombtombstonetooltopetormentingtorturoustotaltower of silencetristetrophytumulusuglyunmentionableunsmilingurgentvaultvenerablevideotapevilevitalwearifulwearisomewearyweightyweldwoefulworthywretchedwritewrite downwrite inwrite outwrite up
Noun(25 words)
low pitchedmomentousmourningreposereposingresonantsepulcherssepulchral voiceseriousserious descriptorsevere skeletal deformitysihasapaslow temposobersidessolemnsolemn promisesolemn tonesolemnizingsonorousstaid
Adjective(33 words)
Verb(5 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: grave accent, tomb, abject, abominable, accent grave.
- Sentence evidence is available for grave, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "grave".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "grave"
Keep "grave" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "grave" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "grave", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "grave" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
23 entriesShowing 16 of 23 words.
More specific
15 entriesCollocations
18 entriesShowing 16 of 18 words.
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
7 entriessimilar
8 entriesTranslations
15 translations across 11 languages.
Albanian
1 entries- gdhend verb (to carve to give a shape)
Bulgarian
1 entries- изрязвам verb (to carve to give a shape)
Danish
1 entries- skulptere verb (to carve to give a shape)
Finnish
1 entries- kaivertaa verb (to carve to give a shape)
French
2 entries- sculpter verb (to carve to give a shape)
- tailler verb (to carve to give a shape)
Irish
1 entries- grábháil verb (to carve to give a shape)
Italian
1 entries- scolpire verb (to carve to give a shape)
Macedonian
3 entries- дла́би verb (to carve to give a shape)
- обли́кува verb (to carve to give a shape)
- ре́зба verb (to carve to give a shape)
Middle English
1 entries- graven verb (to carve to give a shape)
Serbo-Croatian
1 entries- oblikovati verb (to carve to give a shape)
Spanish
2 entries- esculpir verb (to carve to give a shape)
- tallar verb (to carve to give a shape)
Sample sentences
30 total sentences available.
The boy dug a grave for his dead pet.
Source: tatoeba (46352)
The judge was grave and forbidding.
Source: tatoeba (47803)
Some Americans have grave debts.
Source: tatoeba (67483)
Showing 4 of 30 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "grave"?
Closest matches include grave accent, tomb, abject, abominable, accent grave.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "grave"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.