English Reference
verb

bury

v.
US /ˈbɛɹi/ UK /bˈɛɹi/ bury UK spelling buries

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    to put a dead body or an object into the ground and cover it with dirt.

    to inter a corpse in a grave or to place an object in the earth and cover it with soil.

    Simple

    The dog tried to bury its bone in the garden behind the house.

    In context

    The family gathered at the cemetery to bury their grandfather next to his late wife.

    interentomb
    exhumedig up
  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    to hide something by covering it with a lot of other things.

    to conceal something by covering it with a mass of other material, either physically or metaphorically.

    Simple

    She buried her face in her hands because she was so embarrassed.

    In context

    The small village was completely buried under several feet of snow after the blizzard passed through the valley.

    hideconcealsubmerge
  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    to try to forget a feeling or a memory instead of dealing with it.

    to suppress a thought, memory, or emotion, often to avoid psychological distress.

    Simple

    He tried to bury his anger and act like nothing was wrong.

    In context

    She chose to bury the traumatic memories of the accident deep in her mind rather than discuss them in therapy.

  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Sport

    to score a goal or a point with a very strong, accurate shot.

    to score a goal or point decisively, typically by striking the ball or puck with significant force and accuracy.

    Simple

    The striker managed to bury the ball in the back of the net.

    In context

    With only seconds remaining on the clock, the forward buried a powerful shot into the top corner to win the game.

  5. 05 C1 Advanced SlangInformal

    to defeat someone completely or to ruin their reputation.

    to decisively defeat an opponent or to destroy a person's reputation or career through public criticism.

    Simple

    The critic's harsh review really buried the actor's new movie.

    In context

    The veteran wrestler was accused of trying to bury the younger talent by refusing to lose any matches to them.

This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated