grounded

/ˈɡraʊndɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡraʊndɪd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgrau̇n-dəd/ (ame, mw)

grounded — adjective

  • groundedpositive
  • more groundedcomparative
  • most groundedsuperlative

1. describing a person whose feelings and judgement are steady — they keep a clear

1.形容詞C1
釋義

describing a person whose feelings and judgement are steady — they keep a clear head, stay realistic about life, and are not easily knocked off balance by fame, stress, or strong emotion.

例句

Despite winning an Oscar at twenty, Tamar has stayed remarkably grounded.

stay grounded — common collocation for keeping perspective

Kenji's parents raised him to be grounded, generous, and slow to anger.

be grounded — predicative use after a linking verb

同義詞
  • level-headed

    very close — emphasises calm judgement in difficult moments

  • down-to-earth

    warmer; emphasises being unpretentious with others

  • sensible

    broader; about good decisions rather than emotional steadiness

  • stable

    more clinical; can describe mental health rather than character

反義詞
  • flighty

    suggests changeable and unserious, not just unstable

  • unhinged

    much stronger — implies losing all control

文法句型

be grounded

stay grounded

feel grounded

用法筆記

Almost always predicative (after be, stay, feel, seem); rarely placed before a noun. Often paired with positive traits like calm, kind, or sensible.

常見錯誤

❌She is a very grounded woman who lives in a grounded house.
✅She is a very grounded woman who lives in a modest house.
💡the personality sense should not appear twice in one sentence with a literal sense.

2. of an aircraft, ordered or forced to stay on the ground rather than fly; of a sh

2.形容詞B2
釋義

of an aircraft, ordered or forced to stay on the ground rather than fly; of a ship, stuck on rocks or shallow ground and unable to move.

例句

All flights out of Heathrow were grounded by a sudden snowstorm last night.

passive: be grounded by [cause]

Pim's plane to Bangkok stayed grounded for six hours because of an engine warning.

stay grounded — duration phrase commonly follows

同義詞
  • stranded

    for ships, very close; for aircraft, suggests stuck in transit, not refused permission

  • delayed

    softer — does not imply the aircraft must stay on the ground

反義詞
  • airborne

    for aircraft — actively in flight

  • afloat

    for ships — moving freely on water

文法句型

be grounded

remain grounded

grounded by [cause]

用法筆記

Subject is almost always an aircraft, flight, fleet, or ship — never a person in this sense. Distinguish from sense 3 (punishment), where the subject is a child.

常見錯誤

❌The pilot was grounded by the storm.' (ambiguous — sounds like punishment of the pilot)
✅The pilot's flight was grounded by the storm.
💡keep the subject the aircraft or flight when you mean weather-stopped.

3. of a child or teenager, told by a parent to stay at home and lose social privile

3.形容詞B2
釋義

of a child or teenager, told by a parent to stay at home and lose social privileges for a fixed period, in response to bad behaviour.

例句

Henry was grounded for two weeks after he came home past midnight.

be grounded for [duration] — typical pattern

Wren is grounded again for lying about her homework.

be grounded for [reason] — preposition 'for' introduces the offence

同義詞
  • confined

    more formal and broader; can apply to adults or prisoners

  • kept in

    British school context — kept after class, not at home

文法句型

be grounded

be grounded for [duration]

be grounded for [reason]

用法筆記

Subject is almost always a child or teenager; the agent is a parent or guardian. Common in American family English. Distinguish from sense 2 — only sense 2 takes aircraft and ships as subjects.

常見錯誤

❌My boss grounded me for being late.
✅My boss warned me for being late.
💡adults at work are not 'grounded'; the word is reserved for children punished by parents.