I've encountered the phrase and looked up online, but didn't find a good answer. They (link1 link2) were basically saying it's a unjust matter, without explaining the exact connotation and what does 'grave' mean in this phrase.
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2Grave = serious– CowperKettleNov 24, 2014 at 4:57
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3@NS.X. It's great you did some research on the internet before asking your question. But did you also look up the words in a good dictionary? A good dictionary will supply the meaning for each word. In addition, the sites that you link to are not reliable sources of information.– user6951Nov 24, 2014 at 5:36
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@CarSmack I should have mentioned that I did check with a few online dictionaries (e.g. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grave) which don't have meaning for this particular phrase. I saw the meaning for the word 'grave' but since I haven't learned any other phrases in which 'grave' uses that meaning, I asked this question. The dictionary entry may be sufficient for you or general Indo-European language speakers to understand the phrase with confidence, but not for me.– NS.X.Nov 24, 2014 at 21:15
2 Answers
This is close to being a dictionary question. Wiktionary gives this relevant definition for "grave":
Serious, in a negative sense; important, formidable. [from 19th c.]
This pretty much covers it. However, what the dictionary doesn't say is that this is a "sticky" adjective. (I'm sure there's a more technical grammar term for it, but I don't know it).
What that means is that you will almost always hear "grave" used to modify a small number of words, notably "injustice" or "insult" or "error." They are not quite set phrases or cliches, but they have "stuck" together.
So while you will never hear a native speaker say:
I had a grave realization this morning.
and you would be unlikely to hear even something like:
Gather round; I'm afraid I have grave news.
you might well hear someone say:
The lack of celery in your beef jerky is a grave injustice to vegetarians.
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Excellent point! I wonder if we should point out that this definition of "grave" has fallen out of common usage outside of these phrases, and even these phrases are becoming rare.– user11628Jun 8, 2016 at 20:21
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Wiktionary has a really, really, really wrong date. In Hamlet, written around 1601 the mortally wounded Mercutio makes a pun on the word, "Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man." Sep 9, 2019 at 3:22
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@KateBunting — haha, of course I did. Funny how the mind works. Sep 21, 2021 at 4:15
It means injustice, which is so serious or great that it is a cause for concern or worry.