entomb

IPA/ɪnˈtuːm/
KK[ɛntˈum]IPA/ɪnˈtuːm/

entomb — verb

  • entombpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • entombshe / she / it
  • entombedpast simple
  • entombing-ing form

1. to place a dead person or their remains inside a tomb or burial chamber.

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to place a dead person or their remains inside a tomb or burial chamber.

Example

Priests entombed the young king in a stone chamber beneath the temple.

entomb + [person] + in [tomb / chamber]

The queen's ashes were entombed beside her husband in the family crypt.

passive: be entombed beside someone

Common collocations
  • be entombed in a crypt
  • entomb a body
  • entomb with honours
Synonyms
  • bury

    the everyday general word for placing a dead body in the ground

  • inter

    formal like 'entomb', but not limited to a tomb or stone chamber

  • inhume

    very formal and rare; usually used in official or literary writing

Antonyms
  • exhume

    to dig buried remains out again

Grammar Patterns

entomb + [body / remains] + in [tomb / chamber]

be entombed in [tomb / crypt]

Usage Note

Usually refers to placing a body in a built burial place such as a tomb, vault, or crypt. Unlike the everyday verb 'bury', it sounds formal and often appears in historical or ceremonial contexts.

Common Mistakes

They entombed the farmer in a simple hole behind the barn.
They buried the farmer in a simple hole behind the barn.
'entomb' implies a tomb, vault, or similar burial structure, not just earth.
The workers entombed the old statue in the museum hall.
The workers placed the old statue in the museum hall.
sense 1 is for a dead body or human remains, not an ordinary object.

2. to cover someone or something so completely that they are trapped or hidden unde

2.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to cover someone or something so completely that they are trapped or hidden underneath it.

Example

The avalanche entombed three climbers under deep snow near the summit.

be trapped under heavy material

A fall of rock entombed the tunnel entrance before the rescue team arrived.

entomb + [place] before rescue

Common collocations
  • be entombed under snow
  • be entombed beneath rubble
  • entomb a village
Synonyms
  • bury

    the most common word for covering something completely under a substance

  • engulf

    focuses on being swallowed up, not necessarily trapped underneath

  • trap

    names the result directly, without the image of being covered over

Antonyms
  • free

    to get someone or something out from underneath what trapped it

  • uncover

    to remove what is hiding or covering something

Grammar Patterns

be entombed under [snow / rock / ash]

entomb + [place / people] + under [heavy material]

Usage Note

Commonly used for disasters where snow, ash, rock, or debris seals people or places in. Unlike sense 1, the object does not need to be dead, but the image is still extreme and dramatic.

Common Mistakes

The curtain entombed the window from the afternoon sun.
The curtain covered the window from the afternoon sun.
'entomb' suggests total burial or trapping, not ordinary covering.
Her scarf entombed her neck on the cold train platform.
Her scarf wrapped around her neck on the cold train platform.
sense 2 is for being sealed under a mass, not for normal clothing.

Word family

  • tomb
    nounB2
  • entombment
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

For sense 1, 'bury' is the normal everyday verb and does not suggest any particular kind of grave. 'Entomb' is more formal and usually makes you picture a tomb, vault, or stone burial chamber. 'Inter' is also formal, but it is broader and is common in official notices or historical writing. 'Inhume' is even rarer and sounds strongly literary or ceremonial. 'Lay to rest' is gentler and more emotional, often used when speaking respectfully about a funeral. You might bury a neighbour in the village cemetery, but a king or bishop is more likely to be entombed in a crypt.

bury ↗inter ↗inhume ↗lay to rest

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Entomb comes from the noun 'tomb', with the prefix 'en-' adding the idea of putting something into a place. It entered English through French and was first used for placing a dead body in a tomb. Later, writers extended it to dramatic situations where snow, ash, rock, or other material shuts people or things in as if they were inside a tomb.