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ground - definition and synonyms


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noun ground pronunciation in British English /ɡraʊnd/
Word Forms
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  1. 1
    [singular/uncountable] the top part of the Earths surface that people walk on
    I fell to the ground.
    on the ground: People were sitting on the ground in small groups.
    above/below ground: They were working 250 metres below ground.
    1. a.
      [singular] the layer of soil and rock that forms the Earths surface
      the destruction caused by getting coal out of the ground
      Synonyms and related words
    2. b.
      [singular/uncountable] the soil nearest the Earths surface in which you can grow plants
      Prepare the ground for planting.
      sandy/marshy/stony/boggy ground
      Synonyms and related words
  2. 2
    [uncountable] an area of land
    an acre of ground
    open ground (=an area of land without trees or buildings): She had to cross open ground to get to the sea.
    waste ground (=an area of land that is not used for anything): a piece of waste ground about 60 feet square
    1. a.
    2. b.
      [countable] an area of land or sea where a particular thing happens
      the birds’ summer feeding grounds
      a traditional fishing ground
    3. c.


      She found him wandering around the grounds.
      maintenance of the buildings and grounds
  3. 3
    ground for: There do seem to be some grounds for their complaints.
    reasonable grounds: He believes he has reasonable grounds for making the demand.
    on (the) grounds of: The Act prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sex or marital status.
    on medical/legal/financial etc grounds: The army turned him down on medical grounds.
    on the grounds that: They oppose the bill on the grounds that it is too restrictive.
  4. 4
    Henry seems anxious to return to more familiar ground.
    cover ground: We’ll be covering a lot of new ground in today’s lecture.
    go (back) over the same ground: There’s no point in going over the same ground twice.
  5. 5
    [singular/uncountable] an environment in which ideas can develop
    fertile ground: Germany in the 1920s and 30s was fertile ground for such ideas.
  6. 6
    [singular/uncountable] someones set of opinions or attitudes
    the moral high ground (=opinions or standards that are morally better than other people’s): It’s a bit late to start claiming the moral high ground.
    See also middle ground
  7. 7
    lose/gain ground: Most stock markets lost ground after their recent gains.
    regain ground: In Athenian politics, democratic views had been regaining ground.




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