VocabauraVOCABAURA

engrave

verb

Simple meaning

To carve text or symbols into, usually for the purposes of identification or art.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

ihngrayv

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ɪnɡˈɹeɪv

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. transitive

    To carve text or symbols into (something), usually for the purposes of identification or art.

  2. Carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface

  3. Carve or cut a design or letters into

  4. Carve or cut into a block used for printing or print from such a block

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C2 · Proficient
Frequency
Rare
Typical Use
Primarily written

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To carve text or symbols into (something), usually for the purposes of identification or art.

Used this way, engrave is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use engrave

  • “The event engraved itself into her memory.”verb

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “engrave”. We review each one before it appears.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • engravingnounInflected form

    A print made from an engraving.

  • engravernounInflected form

    A skilled worker who can inscribe designs or writing onto a surface by carving or etching.

Use This Word

See how this word sounds in a real sentence.

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “engrave” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.