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Meaning & use

keep grounded

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌkiːp ˈɡraʊndɪd/
US/ˌkiːp ˈɡraʊndɪd/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phrase

    to help someone stay calm, realistic, and connected to ordinary life, especially when they become famous or successful.

    Grammar: Often keep + person + grounded, or stay/remain grounded when there is no object.

    Patterns

    • keep someone grounded
    • keep yourself grounded
    • stay grounded

    His family keeps him grounded even after all his success.

    She meditates every morning to keep herself grounded.

    Fame can change people, so good friends help keep you grounded.

  2. phrasefixed phraseinformal

    to stop a person, especially a young person, from going out as a punishment.

    Grammar: Used about parents and teenagers; often in the passive: be kept grounded.

    Patterns

    • keep someone grounded
    • be kept grounded

    His parents kept him grounded for a week after he broke the rule.

    I was kept grounded all weekend for missing curfew.

  3. phrasefixed phrasetechnical

    to prevent an aircraft or pilot from flying.

    Grammar: Used for planes or pilots; common in the passive.

    Patterns

    • keep an aircraft grounded
    • be kept grounded

    Bad weather kept all the planes grounded yesterday.

    The pilot was kept grounded until the investigation ended.

Common combinations

keep someone grounded
Her old friends keep her grounded.
stay grounded
Try to stay grounded when things go well.
keep yourself grounded
He keeps himself grounded by doing volunteer work.
remain grounded
Despite the awards, she remained grounded.

Synonyms and how they differ

keep someone down to earth
Very similar in the figurative sense, but it describes a person's character rather than an ongoing action.
humble
A verb meaning to make someone less proud; stronger and more negative than 'keep grounded'.

Opposites

spoilgive someone a big head

Word family

grounded adjective
Calm and realistic, or (of a plane) unable to fly.
grounding noun
A basic training or knowledge in a subject.

Commonly confused: keep grounded or ground?

keep grounded vs ground

As a verb, 'ground' can mean to punish or to stop flying, but 'keep grounded' describes the continuing state.

Practice

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