ground
noun /ɡraʊnd/
/ɡraʊnd/
Idioms - (often the ground)[uncountable] the solid surface of the earth
- on the ground I found her lying on the ground.
- to the ground He fell to the ground, crying out in pain.
- above (the) ground The adult insects live above ground.
- The helicopter hovered a couple of hundred metres above the ground.
- below (the) ground The library has four levels below ground and seven above.
- Most of the monkey's food is found at ground level.
Synonyms floorfloor- ground
- land
- earth
- floor the surface of a room that you walk on:
- She was sitting on the floor watching TV.
- ground (often the ground) the solid surface of the earth that you walk on:
- I found her lying on the ground.
- The rocket crashed a few seconds after it left the ground.
- land the surface of the earth that is not sea:
- It was good to be back on dry land again.
- They fought both at sea and on land.
- earth (often the earth) the solid surface of the world that is made of rock, soil, sand, etc:
- You could feel the earth shake as the truck came closer.
- on/under the floor/ground/earth
- bare floor/ground/earth
- to drop/fall to the floor/the ground/(the) earth
- to reach the floor/the ground/land
Extra ExamplesTopics Geographya2- He sat down on the ground.
- Her eyes searched the ground.
- The helicopter burst into flames when it hit the ground.
- The plane was so overloaded it couldn't leave the ground.
- The horse pawed the ground impatiently.
- The roots may spread as far below ground as does the foliage above ground.
- The town stands on high ground and is not prone to flooding.
- The tunnel goes deep under the ground.
- The window is just above ground level.
- Thunder shook the ground.
- a hole in the ground
- the broken branches which littered the ground
- It was buried three metres below ground.
- Her feet don't reach the ground when she sits down.
- The rope barely reached the ground below.
- The rocket crashed a few seconds after it left the ground.
- The plant grows to about two feet above ground.
- The ground fell away to the left of the road.
- Most of the animals' food is found at ground level.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- firm
- hard
- solid
- …
- fall to
- hit
- strike
- …
- level
- forces
- troops
- …
- the ground beneath somebody’s feet
- above ground
- below ground
- in the ground
- …
- [uncountable] (especially in noun compounds) used to describe activities that take place on the ground, not in the air or at sea
- Ground forces were deployed in the area.
- the deployment of ground troops
- a ground and air attack
- on the ground He called for more troops on the ground.
- [uncountable] an area of open land
- The kids were playing on waste ground behind the school.
- We found a patch of open ground in the middle of the woods.
- There was a small patch of ground at the side of the cottage.
- They drove across miles of rough, stony ground.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- high
- low
- open
- …
- patch
- piece
- [countable] (often in compounds) an area of land that is used for a particular purpose, activity or sport
- a football/cricket ground
- The atmosphere inside the ground was electric.
Synonyms landlandsee also breeding ground, burial ground, dumping ground, home ground, hunting ground, parade ground, recreation ground, stamping ground, testing ground, training ground- lot
- ground
- space
- plot
- land an area of ground, especially one that is used for a particular purpose:
- agricultural land
- lot (North American English) a piece of land that is used or intended for a particular purpose:
- building lots
- a parking lot
- ground an area of land that is used for a particular purpose :
- The kids were playing on waste ground near the school.
- the site of an ancient burial ground
- space a large area of land that has no buildings on it:
- The city has plenty of open space.
- the wide open spaces of the Canadian prairies
- plot a small piece of land used or intended for a particular purpose:
- She bought a small plot of land to build a house.
- a vegetable plot
- an open space
- open/empty/vacant/waste/derelict land/ground
- a/an empty/vacant lot/plot
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- cricket
- football
- rugby
- …
- at a/the ground
- inside a/the ground
- grounds[plural] a large area of land or sea that is used for a particular purpose
- fishing grounds
- feeding grounds for birds
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- burial
- dumping
- camp
- …
- at a/the ground
- in a/the ground
- [uncountable] soil on the surface of the earth
- fertile ground for planting crops
- Prepare the ground before you plant anything.
- in/into the ground You can sow the seeds directly into the ground.
- The car got stuck in the muddy ground.
Synonyms soilsoil- mud
- dust
- clay
- land
- earth
- dirt
- ground
- soil the top layer of the earth in which plants grow:
- Plant the seedlings in damp soil.
- mud wet soil that is soft and sticky:
- The car wheels got stuck in the mud.
- dust a fine powder that consists of very small pieces of rock, earth, etc:
- A cloud of dust rose as the truck set off.
- clay a type of heavy sticky soil that becomes hard when it is baked and is used to make things such as pots and bricks:
- The tiles are made of clay.
- land an area of ground, especially of a particular type:
- an area of rich, fertile land
- earth the substance that plants grow in Earth is often used about the soil found in gardens or used for gardening: She put some earth into the pot.
- dirt (especially North American English) soil, especially loose soil:
- Pack the dirt firmly around the plants.
- ground an area of soil:
- The car got stuck in the muddy ground.
- They drove across miles of rough, stony ground.
- good/rich soil/land/earth
- fertile/infertile soil/land/ground
- to dig the soil/mud/clay/land/earth/ground
- to cultivate the soil/land/ground
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- firm
- hard
- solid
- …
- fall to
- hit
- strike
- …
- level
- forces
- troops
- …
- the ground beneath somebody’s feet
- above ground
- below ground
- in the ground
- …
- grounds[plural] the land or gardens around a large building
- the hospital grounds
- We had a guided tour of the house and grounds.
- The house has extensive grounds.
Extra Examples- Many estate workers lived in cottages in the grounds of the castle.
- She lived in the grounds of the castle.
- The doctor's office is on the grounds of the hospital.
- The palace is set in extensive grounds.
- The boys were playing in the school grounds after hours.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- extensive
- large
- castle
- …
- be set in
- have
- cross
- …
- in the grounds (of)
- on the grounds (of)
- [uncountable] an area of interest, knowledge or ideas
- He managed to cover a lot of ground in a short talk.
- We had to go over the same ground (= talk about the same things again) in class the next day.
- on… ground I thought I was on safe ground (= not likely to offend or upset somebody) talking about music.
- You're on dangerous ground (= likely to offend or upset somebody) if you criticize his family.
- Legal scholars say the president is on shaky ground.
- He felt he was back on familiar ground.
- ground for something Paris in the 1920s was fertile ground for artistic experimentation.
Extra Examples- He knew he was on dangerous ground talking about money.
- I was on more familiar ground now that we were talking about our own system.
- I apologize if I'm going over old ground.
- Legally, we're on very shaky ground.
- Several researchers have published articles covering this ground.
- We just seem to be going over the same ground that we covered last year.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- familiar
- home
- old
- …
- cover
- go over
- tread
- …
- on… ground
- break new ground
- hold your ground
- stand your ground
- …
- [countable, usually plural] a good or true reason for saying, doing or believing something
- ground(s) for something You have no grounds for complaint.
- ground(s) for doing something What were his grounds for wanting a divorce?
- ground(s) to do something There are reasonable grounds to believe that a crime has been committed.
- on the ground(s) that… The case was dismissed on the ground that there was insufficient evidence.
- on grounds of something Employers cannot discriminate on grounds of age.
- on… grounds He retired early on health grounds.
- She was released on compassionate grounds.
- (law) What are the grounds of appeal?
- without grounds Their caution was not without grounds.
Synonyms reasonreason- explanation
- grounds
- basis
- excuse
- motive
- justification
- pretext
- reason a cause or an explanation for something that has happened or that somebody has done; a fact that makes it right or fair to do something:
- He said no but he didn’t give a reason.
- explanation a statement, fact or situation that tells you why something has happened; a reason given for something:
- The most likely explanation is that his plane was delayed.
- She left the room abruptly without explanation.
- grounds (rather formal) a good or true reason for saying, doing or believing something:
- You have no grounds for complaint.
- basis (rather formal) the reason why people take a particular action:
- On what basis will this decision be made?
- excuse a reason, either true or invented, that you give to explain or defend your behaviour; a good reason that you give for doing something that you want to do for other reasons:
- Late again! What’s your excuse this time?
- It gave me an excuse to take the car.
- motive a reason that explains somebody’s behaviour:
- There seemed to be no motive for the murder.
- justification (rather formal) a good reason why something exists or is done:
- I can see no possible justification for any further tax increases.
- pretext (rather formal) a false reason that you give for doing something, usually something bad, in order to hide the real reason:
- He left the party early on the pretext of having to work.
- (a/an) reason/explanation/grounds/basis/excuse/motive/justification/pretext for something
- the reason/motive behind something
- on the grounds/basis/pretext of/that…
- (a) good/valid reason/explanation/grounds/excuse/motive/justification
Extra Examples- Drunkenness at work was sufficient grounds for instant dismissal.
- He resigned from his post on the grounds of ill health.
- His evasiveness gave grounds for the suspicion that he knew more than he was saying.
- Permission to open a mine was denied on environmental grounds.
- The constable had reasonable grounds for arresting her.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- reasonable
- strong
- …
- have
- be
- give (somebody)
- …
- on… grounds
- on the grounds of
- ground for
- …
- grounds[plural] the small pieces of solid matter in a liquid that have fallen to the bottom
- coffee grounds
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- burial
- dumping
- camp
- …
- at a/the ground
- in a/the ground
- (North American English) (British English earth)[countable, usually singular] a wire that connects an electric circuit with the ground and makes it safe
- Don't forget to connect the ground wire.
- [countable] a background that a design is painted or printed on
- pink roses on a white ground
surface of earth
area of land
soil
gardens
area of knowledge/ideas
good reason
in liquid
electrical wire
background
Word Originnoun Old English grund, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch grond and German Grund.
Idioms
be on firm/solid ground
- to be in a strong position in an argument, etc. because you know the facts
- Everyone agreed with me, so I knew I was on firm ground.
- He is probably on solid ground when he says we need more training.
break new ground
- to make a new discovery or do something that has not been done before
- Her architectural designs have broken new ground.
cut the ground from under somebody’s feet
- to suddenly cause somebody’s idea or plan to fail by doing something to stop them from continuing with it
fall on stony ground
- to fail to produce the result or the effect that you hope for; to have little success
- His charming smile fell on stony ground with her.
- The peace initiatives have already fallen on stony ground.
from the ground up
- (informal) completely, or including everything, starting with the most basic things
- We need to rebuild the system from the ground up.
- He learned about the business from the ground up.
gain ground
- to become more powerful or successful
- Sterling continues to gain ground against the dollar.
gain/make up ground (on somebody/something)
- to gradually get closer to somebody/something that is moving or making progress in an activity
- The police car was gaining ground on the suspects.
- They needed to make up ground on their competitors.
get (something) off the ground
- to start happening successfully; to make something start happening successfully
- Without more money, the movie is unlikely to get off the ground.
- to get a new company off the ground
- His plan is too costly to ever get off the ground.
give/lose ground (to somebody/something)
- to allow somebody/something to have an advantage; to lose an advantage for yourself
- They are not prepared to give ground on tax cuts.
- The Conservatives lost a lot of ground to the Liberal Democrats at the election.
go to ground
- (British English) to hide, especially to escape from somebody
have/keep your feet on the ground
- to have a sensible and realistic attitude to life
- In spite of his overnight stardom he still manages to keep his feet on the ground.
hit the ground running
- (informal) to start doing something and continue very quickly and successfullyTopics Successc2
hold/stand your ground
- to continue with your opinions or intentions when somebody is opposing you and wants you to change
- Don't let him persuade you—stand your ground.
- She held her ground in the debate.
- to face a situation and refuse to run away
- It is not easy to hold your ground in front of someone with a gun.
keep/have your ear to the ground
- to make sure that you always find out about the most recent developments in a particular situation
- The agent had no suitable properties on his books but promised to keep an ear to the ground for us.
on the ground
- in the place where something is happening and among the people who are in the situation, especially a war
- On the ground, there are hopes that the fighting will soon stop.
- There's a lot of support for the policy on the ground.
on neutral ground/territory
- in a place that has no connection with either of the people or sides who are meeting and so does not give an advantage to either of them
- We decided to meet on neutral ground.
on somebody's own ground
- in an area where somebody has a lot of power, knowledge or experience
- They are fighting the Conservatives on their own ground.
- When it comes to music I'm on my own ground.
prepare the ground (for something)
- to make it possible or easier for something to be achieved
- The committee will prepare the ground for next month's meeting.
- Early experiments with rockets prepared the ground for space travel.
run somebody/something into the ground
- to make somebody work so hard that they are no longer able to work; to use something so much that it is broken
run/drive/work yourself into the ground
- to work so hard that you become extremely tired
shift your ground
- (usually disapproving) to change your opinion about a subject, especially during a discussion
- Each time he seemed to be losing the argument, he just shifted his ground.
suit somebody down to the ground
- (British English, informal) to be very convenient or acceptable for somebody
- This job suits me down to the ground.
- Country life suits me down to the ground!
take, claim, seize, etc. the moral high ground
- to claim that your side of an argument is morally better than your opponents’ side; to argue in a way that makes your side seem morally better
- I was angry with his blatant attempt to take the moral high ground.
thick/thin on the ground
- (British English) if people or things are thick/thin on the ground, there are a lot/not many of them in a place
- Customers are thin on the ground at this time of year.
- Security officers were thick on the ground during the King’s visit.
to the ground
- completely, so that there is nothing left
- The hotel burned to the ground.
- The city was razed to the ground (= completely destroyed).