engrave

engrave — verb

1. to cut letters, pictures, or designs into a hard surface such as metal, stone, w

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to cut letters, pictures, or designs into a hard surface such as metal, stone, wood, or glass, usually as a way of decorating it or marking it permanently.

Example

Selim had his initials engraved on the back of his new watch.

passive: have something engraved on [surface]

The artist spent months engraving a detailed landscape onto a copper plate.

engrave + object + onto [material]

Common collocations
  • engrave a name / initials / date / design
  • engrave on metal / stone / glass / wood / silver / gold
  • engrave with a chisel / laser / needle / tool
  • be engraved with a pattern / inscription / message
  • hand-engraved / laser-engraved
  • engrave deeply / delicately
Synonyms
  • etch

    More specific — uses acid or a sharp needle to cut lines; often used for glass or metal.

  • carve

    Broader — can mean cutting any shape into any material, including wood or stone, often with a knife or chisel.

  • inscribe

    Emphasises the writing of words rather than pictures; often used for formal or ceremonial markings.

Grammar Patterns

engrave + object + on/onto/in + surface

be engraved with + design/text

Usage Note

Often used in the passive voice ('be engraved with' or 'be engraved on') when describing the finished object rather than the act of cutting. The object being decorated (glass, silver, stone) can be the direct object: 'She engraved the silver cup.' The preposition depends on location: 'on' for surfaces, 'in' or 'into' when the cut goes below the surface level.

Common Mistakes

He engraved a picture on the wall with a pencil.
He engraved a picture on the wall with a chisel.
Engraving involves cutting into a hard surface with a sharp tool, not drawing with a pencil.
She engraved her name on the paper.
She engraved her name on the metal plate.
Engraving is for hard materials like metal, stone, wood, or glass, not soft materials like paper.

2. to be fixed so firmly in someone's memory, mind, or emotions that they will neve

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveC1
Definition

to be fixed so firmly in someone's memory, mind, or emotions that they will never forget it — for example, a shocking image that is engraved in a person's memory, or a kind act that is engraved on someone's heart.

Example

The date of the earthquake is engraved on the hearts of everyone in the village.

be engraved on [body part] for emotional memory

That moment of kindness from a stranger stayed engraved in Dahlia's memory for years.

passive: stay engraved in [memory]

Common collocations
  • engraved in memory / mind / heart / soul / consciousness
  • engraved on one's heart / mind
  • engraved into childhood / history
  • deeply / permanently / forever engraved
  • stay / remain / be engraved
Synonyms
  • imprint

    Very close in meaning; 'imprint' can be used both literally (physical printing) and figuratively, while 'engrave' in this sense is exclusively figurative.

  • embed

    Suggests something becoming a permanent part of something else; slightly less emotional than 'engrave'.

  • stamp

    More forceful — suggests a sudden, vivid impression rather than a gradual one.

Antonyms
  • forget

    The opposite of having something fixed in memory.

  • erase

    Commonly used figuratively ('erase from memory') as the direct opposite of 'engrave in memory'.

Grammar Patterns

be engraved on/in + memory / heart / mind

be engraved into + consciousness / childhood

Usage Note

Exclusively figurative — do not use for actual physical cutting. Typically passive ('is engraved', 'was engraved', 'stayed engraved') rather than active 'X engraved Y in memory'. Common with abstract subjects such as an image, moment, date, smell, or sound. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 requires a physical tool and a hard surface; sense 2 uses memory, heart, or mind as the 'surface'.

Common Mistakes

I engraved his kindness in my heart.
His kindness is engraved on my heart.
The figurative sense is almost always passive; the active voice sounds odd for emotional memory.
Idioms

be engraved on/in your heart, memory, mind, etc.

idiom

Something is remembered for a very long time because it had a strong emotional effect on you.

The teacher's kind words are engraved in my heart forever.

Was that summer day engraved on your memory too?

Word family

  • engraving
    nounB2
  • engraver
    nounB2
  • engraved
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words involve cutting or marking a surface, but they differ in tool, material, and purpose. 'Engrave' is the most general — it means cutting letters or designs into a hard surface (metal, stone, glass) using a sharp tool or laser, often for decoration or permanent marking. 'Etch' is more specific: it usually means using acid or a fine needle to create fine lines, especially on glass or metal for artistic effect. 'Carve' is broader — it can mean cutting any shape into any material (wood, stone, ice) with a knife or chisel, and often implies removing material to create a three-dimensional form. 'Inscribe' focuses on writing words (rather than pictures) and is used for formal, ceremonial, or commemorative markings, such as on a monument or plaque. For example, a jeweller engraves initials on a ring, an artist etches a landscape onto glass, a sculptor carves a figure from wood, and a builder inscribes a date on a foundation stone.

engrave ↗etchcarve ↗inscribe

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicFrenchEnglish

Engrave comes from the French phrase 'engraver', formed from 'en-' (in, onto) and 'graver' (to cut, carve). 'Graver' itself traces back to the Germanic root 'graban' (to dig), which is also the ancestor of the English word 'grave' (a hole dug for burial). The literal sense of cutting into a surface entered English in the 1500s. By the 1700s, the figurative meaning — fixing something permanently in the mind — had developed, using the idea of cutting deeply as a metaphor for unforgettable emotional impact.