ground meaning

ground means 'the solid surface of the earth or the reason for something'.

ground :

earth, soil

noun

▪ The ground is wet after the rain.

▪ The earth is wet after the rain.

▪ Please step off the ground.

▪ Please step off the earth.

paraphrasing

▪ soil – earth

▪ terrain – earth

▪ surface – earth

▪ earth – soil

ground

ground :

to prohibit, to prevent

verb

▪ The teacher grounded the students for a week.

▪ The teacher punished the students for a week.

▪ His parents grounded him after the bad grades.

▪ His parents punished him after the bad grades.

paraphrasing

▪ punish – prohibit

▪ restrict – prevent

▪ ban – prohibit

▪ confine – restrict

Pronunciation

ground [ɡraʊnd]

It is pronounced as 'ground' with the 'gr' sound and rhyming with 'hound'.

Common phrases and grammar about ground

ground - Common meaning

noun
earth, soil
verb
to prohibit, to prevent

Part of Speech Changes for "ground"

▪ groundwork (noun) – the basic structure or foundation

▪ groundless (adjective) – without reason

▪ underground (adjective) – below the surface

▪ groundswell (noun) – a strong public feeling

Common Expressions with "ground"

▪ on the ground – existing; reality

▪ break new ground – to do something innovative

▪ up to ground – current with information

▪ level ground – flat surface

Important examples of ground in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC word questions, ground usually refers to the earth's surface or the reason for something.

▪Employees must report to work on the ground floor of the building.
▪Employees must report to work on the first floor of the building.

Example of a confusing word: floor (a level of a building)

▪Employees must report to work on the floor ground of the building.
▪Employees must report to work on the level ground of the building.
"Ground" can mean the surface of the earth or the base level of a building, as in "ground floor." In this context, it indicates the base level where employees should report. "Floor" refers to any level of a building, but "floor ground" is not a correct expression. The confusion arises because "ground" and "floor" can both refer to levels, but their usage differs. "Ground floor" is a specific term for the base level, while "floor" alone needs a qualifier like "first" or "second" to specify which level. Thus, "ground" is the correct choice here.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

Ground can be both a noun and a verb, and questions may ask to identify its usage.

▪The plane landed firmly on the ground.
▪The plane landed firmly on the earth's surface.

ground

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

break new ground

to do something innovative

▪The company is breaking new ground in technology.
▪The company is doing new things in technology.

on the ground

existing; in reality

▪We need to understand the situation on the ground.
▪We need to understand the actual situation.

Differences between similar words and ground

ground

,

soil

differences

Ground refers to the surface of the earth, while soil refers to the top layer of the earth where plants grow.

ground
▪The ground is wet from the rain.
▪The soil is wet from the rain.
soil
▪The ground needs to be level.
▪The soil needs to be level.

ground

,

earth

differences

Ground refers specifically to the surface, while earth can refer to the entire planet or similar to ground.

ground
▪The ground is hard.
▪Ground is hard.
earth
▪The planet earth is large.
▪Ground is hard.

Words with the same origin as ground

The origin of ground

The word's etymology is not clear.

Word structure

The analysis of the word's composition is unclear.

Words with the same origin

The word's root is unclear or difficult to confirm.

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