grave

Universal Words noun, adjective-see also GRAVE noun 1 a place in the ground where a dead person is buried: We visited Grandma's grave. * There were flowers on the grave. 2 [sing.] (often the grave) (usually literary) death; a person's death: Is there life beyond the grave (= life after death)? * He followed her to the grave (= died soon after her). * She smoked herself into an early grave (= died young as a result of smoking). IDIOMS turn in his / her grave (BrE) (AmE roll in his / her grave) (of a person who is dead) likely to be very shocked or angry: My father would turn in his grave if he knew. moreatCRADLEn., DIGv., FOOTn. adjective (graver, gravest) (formal) 1 (of situations, feelings, etc.) very serious and important; giving you a reason to feel worried: The police have expressed grave concern about the missing child's safety. * The consequences will be very grave if nothing is done. * We were in grave danger. 2 (of people) serious in manner, as if sth sad, important or worrying has just happened: He looked very grave as he entered the room. seealsoGRAVITY gravely adverb: She is gravely ill. * Local people are gravely concerned. * He nodded gravely as I poured out my troubles. (also grave accent) noun a mark placed over a vowel in some languages to show how it should be pronounced, as over the e in the French word pere compareACUTEACCENT, CIRCUMFLEX, TILDE, UMLAUT seealsoGRAVE