All 11 Uses of
grave
in
Babbitt
- He soaped himself, and rinsed himself, and austerely rubbed himself; he noted a hole in the Turkish towel, and meditatively thrust a finger through it, and marched back to the bedroom, a grave and unbending citizen.
Chpt 7 *grave = serious and solemn
- With the awed swelling of the heart suitable to so grave a business as giving a dinner, he slew the temptation to wear his plaited dress-shirt for a fourth time, took out an entirely fresh one, tightened his black bow, and rubbed his patent-leather pumps with a handkerchief.
Chpt 8
- Frink spoke with gravity: "Is some one there?"†
Chpt 9
- The man from Sparta, a grave, intense youngster, babbled, "Say!"
Chpt 13grave = serious and solemn
- As the conductor went on his affable way, huge watch-chain jingling against his blue chest, Babbitt and Ted gravely considered colleges.†
Chpt 19
- Frink stopped, focused his vision, and spoke with gravity: "There's another fool.†
Chpt 23
- Babbitt had always supposed that Doane associated only with the I. W. W., but now he nodded gravely, as one who knew Lord Wycombes by the score, and he got in two references to Sir Gerald Doak.†
Chpt 26
- However appealingly she might turn to him when they were alone, she was gravely detached when they were abroad, and he hoped that she would be taken for a client.†
Chpt 29
- He was even surer about it the morning after, when he was trying to be grave and paternal with his daughters at breakfast.†
Chpt 29
- He did not dare now to come home drunk, and though he rejoiced in his return to high morality and spoke with gravity to Pete and Fulton Bemis about their drinking, he prickled at Myra's unexpressed criticisms and sulkily meditated that a "fellow couldn't ever learn to handle himself if he was always bossed by a lot of women."†
Chpt 30
- He spoke slowly then, and gravely: "Boys, I have something shocking to reveal to you; something terrible about one of our own members."†
Chpt 34
Definition:
-
(grave as in: Her manner was grave.) serious and/or solemnThe exact meaning of this sense of grave can depend upon its context. For example:
- "This is a grave problem," or "a situation of the utmost gravity." -- important, dangerous, or causing worry
- "She was in a grave mood upon returning from the funeral." -- sad or solemn
- "She looked me in the eye and gravely promised." -- in a sincere and serious manner