ground
gb/ɡɹˈaʊnd/ us/ɡɹˈaʊnd/
A1
English
~ 500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
solid surface of the earth
The solid land under our feet.
Usage pattern:
the [adjective] ground
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'ground' with 'floor'. 'Ground' is outside; 'floor' is inside a building.
Synonyms
land (Refers to the earth's surface, often in a broader or more general sense.)
Antonyms
sky (The opposite physical space above the earth's surface.)
Collocations
on the ground
|level ground
|frozen ground
|soft ground
Themes
geography
|daily life
|nature
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The children sat on the ground to watch the parade.
- The heavy rain made the ground muddy.
- They found coins buried in the ground.
- The tent was pitched on level ground.
Learner examples
- I sat on the ground.
- The ground is wet.
- He stood on the ground.
- We walked on the ground.
Noun
B1
entity
2
reason or justification
A reason for doing or saying something.
Usage pattern:
[have/provide] grounds for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may forget that 'grounds' in this meaning is usually plural.
Synonyms
reason (A general explanation for why something is done or believed.)
Antonyms
pretext (A false or misleading reason given to hide the real one.)
Collocations
grounds for divorce
|on the grounds that
|reasonable grounds
Themes
law
|discussion
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The police had no grounds to search his house.
- She resigned on the grounds of ill health.
- There are strong grounds for believing he is innocent.
Learner examples
- I have no grounds to say that.
- They had grounds to stop him.
- She left on the grounds of illness.
Verb
B1
action
3
prevent aircraft from flying
To stop a plane from flying.
Usage pattern:
to ground [an aircraft/pilot]
Synonyms
suspend (In aviation, to temporarily stop operations for safety or other reasons.)
Antonyms
launch (To send an aircraft into flight.)
Collocations
ground flights
|ground a pilot
Themes
transportation
|safety
|law
Examples
- All flights were grounded due to fog.
- The airline grounded its fleet for safety checks.
- The pilot was grounded after failing a medical test.
Learner examples
- Bad weather grounded the plane.
- They grounded all flights today.
- The pilot was grounded for two days.
Verb
informal
A2
action
4
punish by restricting outings
To not let a child go out as punishment.
Usage pattern:
to ground [someone] for [a time period]
Synonyms
confine (To keep someone within limits, though not necessarily as punishment.)
Antonyms
allow out (To permit someone to go outside freely.)
Collocations
ground a teenager
|ground someone for a week
Themes
family
|behavior
|daily_life
|relationships
Examples
- Her parents grounded her for a month after she missed curfew.
- He was grounded and couldn't go to the party.
- If you don't finish your homework, you'll be grounded.
Learner examples
- My dad grounded me for two days.
- She was grounded last weekend.
- He will be grounded if he is late again.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
5
electrical earth connection
A wire that connects electricity to the earth for safety.
Synonyms
earth (British English term for electrical grounding.)
Antonyms
live wire (An electrical wire carrying current, opposite of grounded.)
Collocations
ground wire
|ground connection
Themes
technology
|safety
|science
Examples
- The appliance must be connected to a proper ground.
- He checked if the outlet had a working ground.
- Grounding protects people from electric shock.
Learner examples
- This wire goes to the ground.
- The machine must have a ground.
- Ground stops you from getting shocked.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ground
IPA
GB/ɡɹˈaʊnd/
US/ɡɹˈaʊnd/
Syllables & stress
ground (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (ground)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ground
- Plural: ground, grounds
Verb
- Base: ground
- 3rd Person Singular: grounds
- Present Participle: grounding
- Past: grounded
Word family
Forms
Core family
underground
adjective A2
playground
noun A2
Related words
background
noun A2
Negative and opposite forms
groundless
adjective
Advanced or less common
groundwork
noun
foreground
noun
Expressions
get off the ground
1/ɡˈɛt ˈɔf ðə ɡɹˈaʊnd/
idiom
start successfully after effort
To begin and start working well.
Examples
- The project finally got off the ground after months of delays.
- Her business is just getting off the ground.
lose ground
1/lˈuz ɡɹˈaʊnd/
idiom
lose position or advantage
To fall behind or become less successful.
Examples
- Our company is losing ground to competitors.
- He began to lose ground after the injury.
on the grounds that
1/ˈɔn ðə ɡɹˈaʊndz ðˈæt/
fixed phrase
because of a stated reason
Because of the reason that is given.
Examples
- He refused on the grounds that it was too risky.
- They were excused on the grounds that they were unwell.
break new ground
1/bɹˈeɪk njˈu ɡɹˈaʊnd/
idiom
do something innovative first time
To do something new and different that no one has done before.
Examples
- The research breaks new ground in cancer treatment.
- The scientist broke new ground in cancer research.
- She broke new ground in modern dance.
- Their latest album breaks new ground in jazz music.
gain ground
1/ɡˈeɪn ɡɹˈaʊnd/
idiom
make progress or advance
To move forward or become more successful than before.
Examples
- Our team is gaining ground on the competition.
- The new product is gaining ground in the market.
gain ground
2/ɡˈeɪn ɡɹˈaʊnd/
idiom
make progress or advance
To move forward or become more successful.
Examples
- The idea is gaining ground among scientists.
- Our team gained ground in the second half.