gravely

gravely — adverb

1. to a worrying degree (especially of harm, illness, danger, or error); or with a

1.adverbB2
Definition

to a worrying degree (especially of harm, illness, danger, or error); or with a serious demeanour that shows awareness of the importance of a situation

Example

Gabriel was gravely injured in the car accident last Tuesday.

collocation: gravely injured / gravely ill

Ms. Chen spoke gravely when she told the students about the school's financial trouble.

gravely + verb of speech

Common collocations
  • gravely injured
  • gravely ill
  • gravely wounded
  • gravely mistaken
  • gravely underestimated
  • gravely affected
  • spoke gravely
  • nodded gravely
Synonyms
  • seriously

    broader in use and less formal; works in both degree and manner contexts

  • severely

    focuses on the harshness or intensity of the degree; common with injuries and punishment

  • solemnly

    applies only to manner (not degree); emphasises a dignified, often ceremonial seriousness

  • earnestly

    applies to manner; stresses sincerity and heartfelt intention rather than gravity

Antonyms
  • lightly

    opposite of the manner sense — treating something without seriousness

  • slightly

    opposite of the degree sense — to a small extent

Grammar Patterns

gravely + adjective (injured/ill/mistaken)

verb + gravely (spoke/nodded/said)

Usage Note

Most commonly used with adjectives describing injury, illness, or error. When describing manner of speech or behaviour, carries a formal tone and is less frequent in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

I am gravely hungry.
I am very hungry.
gravely is too formal and intense for everyday situations; reserve it for genuinely serious matters like health, safety, or major errors.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

Gravely is the most formal of these four and carries the strongest sense of weight and consequence. Seriously is the everyday default: it works for both degree ('seriously injured') and manner ('spoke seriously'), but lacks the solemn undertone of gravely. Severely overlaps with gravely on the degree side ('severely injured', 'severely punished') but is never used for manner — you cannot say 'nodded severely'. Solemnly covers only the manner sense and adds a ceremonial or ritual quality: a judge speaks solemnly when passing sentence, whereas a doctor speaks gravely when delivering bad news. In writing, choose gravely when you want the reader to feel a heavy, sobering atmosphere; choose seriously for neutral or factual contexts.

gravely ↗seriously ↗severely ↗solemnly

Common collocations

Phrases

  • gravely injured
  • gravely ill
  • gravely mistaken
  • gravely underestimated
  • grave concern

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from the adjective grave (meaning 'serious, solemn, weighty') and the adverbial suffix -ly. The adjective grave came into English from French, which inherited it from Latin gravis, meaning 'heavy, weighty, important'. The sense 'to a serious degree' (gravely ill, gravely injured) developed in the 1600s, broadening the word's use beyond descriptions of demeanour into contexts of physical severity.