bury
gb/bˈɛɹi/ us/bˈɛɹi/
A2
English
~ 2800
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Put a dead body underground
To put a dead person or animal into the ground after they die.
Usage pattern:
to bury [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'bury' with 'burn' when talking about funerals; cremation is not burial.
Synonyms
inter (More formal and used mainly in official or literary contexts.)
Antonyms
exhume (Means to dig up a buried body, often for examination.)
Collocations
bury the dead
|bury a body
|bury someone alive
|bury remains
Themes
death
|daily life
|rituals
|daily_life
|religion
Examples
- They decided to bury their grandfather in the family cemetery.
- The dog was buried under the old oak tree.
- Soldiers were buried with full honors after the battle.
- We buried the cat in the backyard after it passed away.
Learner examples
- We will bury my grandmother next week.
- They buried the dog in the garden.
- The soldiers buried their friend.
- We buried him near his home.
Verb
B1
action
2
Hide something under ground or cover
To put something under the ground or under something so that it is hidden.
Usage pattern:
to bury [something] [somewhere]
Common mistake:
Learners might use 'plant' instead of 'bury' for objects; 'plant' is correct for seeds, but not for general hiding.
Synonyms
cover (More general; does not always mean putting in the ground.)
Antonyms
uncover (Means to remove the covering so that something can be seen.)
Collocations
bury treasure
|bury waste
|bury a time capsule
Themes
daily life
|construction
|daily_life
Examples
- They buried the box of coins in the garden.
- Utility companies often bury cables to protect them.
- She buried her face in her hands.
Learner examples
- I buried the toy in the sand.
- They buried a box in the yard.
- We buried the bottle under a tree.
Verb
B1
action
3
Cover completely so it disappears from view
To cover someone or something so you cannot see them anymore.
Usage pattern:
to bury [something/someone] in/under [something]
Synonyms
engulf (Suggests being surrounded and overwhelmed, often by something large.)
Antonyms
expose (Means to remove covering so it can be seen.)
Collocations
bury under snow
|bury under paperwork
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The house was buried under a thick layer of snow.
- He was buried under an avalanche of work.
- The car was buried in mud after the landslide.
Learner examples
- The road was buried in snow.
- I was buried under many books.
- The house was buried in sand.
Verb
B2
action
4
Hide feelings or information intentionally
To try not to show or think about feelings, problems, or information.
Usage pattern:
to bury [feelings/problems/information]
Synonyms
suppress (More formal; often used in psychological or legal contexts.)
Antonyms
confront (Means to face feelings or problems directly.)
Collocations
bury emotions
|bury the truth
|bury past mistakes
Themes
emotions
|communication
Examples
- He tried to bury his anger and smile politely.
- They attempted to bury the scandal by destroying documents.
- She buried her disappointment and congratulated her friend.
Learner examples
- I buried my fear and went on stage.
- He buried his sadness when he saw his family.
- She buried her secret from her friends.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bury
IPA
GB/bˈɛɹi/
US/bˈɛɹi/
Syllables & stress
bury (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (bury)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: bury
- 3rd Person Singular: buries
- Present Participle: burying
- Past: buried
Word family
Forms
buries
verb
burying
verb
buried
verb
Core family
burial
noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
unbury
verb
unburied
adjective
Advanced or less common
rebury
verb
reburial
noun
Expressions
bury oneself in work
1/bˈɛɹi wˌʌnsˈɛlf ˈɪn wˈɚk/
fixed phrase
Work with intense focus for long periods
To spend most of your time working very hard on something.
Examples
- After his breakup, he buried himself in work to distract himself.
- She has been burying herself in work to meet the deadline.
bury the hatchet
1/bˈɛɹi ðə hˈæt͡ʃət/
idiom
End a conflict and reconcile
To stop arguing and become friends again after a fight.
Examples
- After years of rivalry, the two companies finally buried the hatchet.
- They decided to bury the hatchet and start fresh.
bury your head in the sand
1/bˈɛɹi jˈʊɹ hˈɛd ˈɪn ðə sˈænd/
idiom
Avoid facing a problem
To ignore a problem and hope it will go away instead of dealing with it.
Examples
- He just buries his head in the sand instead of dealing with his debts.
- You can't just bury your head in the sand when it comes to your debts.
- Stop burying your head in the sand and talk to her about it.
- She tends to bury her head in the sand whenever there is conflict at work.