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gravely

/ˈgreɪvli/
/ˈgreɪvli/
IPA guide

To do something gravely means to do it in a solemn, serious way. When someone gives you bad news, they often say it gravely.

If you ask about a sick relative and your dad gravely shakes his head, you'll know that the relative isn't feeling better. Anything you do or say gravely conveys a sense of solemnity. Another way to use this word is to mean "to an alarming degree," like a person who is gravely ill or a gravely mistaken answer to a test question. Gravely is from the adjective grave and its Latin root gravis, "heavy."

Definitions of gravely
  1. adverb
    in a grave and sober manner
    synonyms: soberly, staidly
  2. adverb
    to a severe or serious degree
    “is gravely ill”
    synonyms: badly, seriously, severely
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