gravity
- 01 B1 Intermediate
the natural force that pulls everything toward the center of the earth.
the universal force of attraction acting between all matter. Uncountable in this physical sense.
Simple“Gravity is the force that makes an apple fall from a tree to the ground.”
In context“The satellite was designed to orbit the planet at a specific altitude where the pull of gravity would remain constant.”
UsageUsually used with the definite article 'the' when referring to the Earth's force.
Synonymsgravitationattraction - 02 C1 Advanced
the quality of being very serious or important.
the quality of being grave, solemn, or extremely serious in manner or consequence.
Simple“The president spoke with great gravity about the dangers of the new war.”
In context“The board of directors failed to grasp the gravity of the situation until the company's stock price began to plummet.”
Teacher's tipIn modern English, this sense is almost exclusively used in formal contexts to describe the weight of a problem or a person's dignified behavior.
SynonymsAntonymslevityfrivolity - 03 C2 Proficiency
the weight of something.
the property of having weight; heaviness. Often used in technical contexts like 'specific gravity'.
Simple“The specific gravity of the liquid helped the scientists identify the chemical.”
In context“The instrument measures the specific gravity of the ore to determine its mineral content relative to pure water.”
“The "capture" hypothesis, meanwhile, postulates that the moons are asteroids from the outer solar system that were captured by Mars' gravity.”
“This rare X-ray flash was produced when a massive star's core collapsed under gravity, leaving behind a powerful magnetar.”