verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ɪnˈɡɹeɪv/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪv
CMU ARPABET:IH0 N G R EY1 V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To carve text or symbols into (something), usually for the purposes of identification or art.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
He engraved the plaque with his name.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To carve (something) into a material.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
He engraved his name.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To put in a grave, to bury.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
engrave a pen
engraved the trophy cupt with the winner's
the lovers scratched their names into the bark of the tree
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: scratch, grave, inscribe
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: carve, chip at
Narrower terms: character
5
verb
Meaning 5
carve or cut a design or letters into
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
engrave the pen with the owner's name
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: etch
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: carve, chip at
6
verb
Meaning 6
carve or cut into a block used for printing or print from such a block
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
engrave a letter
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: etch
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: print
Narrower terms: benday, stipple
7
verb
Meaning 7
impress or affect deeply
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The event engraved itself into her memory
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: affect, impress, move, strike
History
Etymology
From earlier ingrave, equivalent to en- + grave (“to carve, engrave”). More at grave.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Latin in- Old French en-bor. Middle English en- English en- English grave English engrave From en- + grave.
Across languages
Translations
46 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
грави́рам
(gravíram)
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Catalan:
gravar
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Chinese Mandarin:
雕刻
(diāokè)
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Chinese Mandarin:
鐫刻 /镌刻
(juānkè)
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Danish:
indgravere
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Danish:
gravere
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Dutch:
graveren
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Finnish:
kaivertaa
— carve text or symbols into (something)
French:
graver
— carve text or symbols into (something)
German:
gravieren
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Greek:
χαράσσω
(charásso)
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Ancient Greek:
χαράσσω
(kharássō)
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Irish:
grábháil
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Italian:
incidere
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Italian:
intagliare
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Italian:
bulinare
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Japanese:
刻む
(kizamu)
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Japanese:
彫り込む
(horikomu)
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Japanese:
彫刻する
(chōkoku suru)
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Latin:
insigno
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Latin:
caelō
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Luxembourgish:
gravéieren
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Māori:
whaowhao
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Middle English:
graven
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Norwegian:
gravere
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Norwegian Bokmål:
inngravere
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Polish:
grawerować
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Polish:
rytować
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Portuguese:
gravar
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Russian:
гравирова́ть
(gravirovátʹ)
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Russian:
высека́ть
(vysekátʹ)
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Russian:
выреза́ть
(vyrezátʹ)
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Serbo-Croatian:
ugravirati
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Serbo-Croatian:
угравирати
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Spanish:
grabar
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Spanish:
burilar
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Spanish:
inscribir
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Spanish:
entallar
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Spanish:
epigrafiar
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Spanish:
incidir
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Spanish:
entretallar
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Swedish:
gravera
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Swedish:
karva
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Swedish:
etsa
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Ottoman Turkish:
قازمق
(kazmak)
— carve text or symbols into (something)
Ottoman Turkish:
یازمق
(yazmak)
— carve text or symbols into (something)
