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Meaning & use

keeps me grounded

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌkiːps miː ˈɡraʊndɪd/
US/ˌkiːps miː ˈɡraʊndɪd/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phrase

    Stops me from becoming too proud, excited, or unrealistic, and helps me stay calm and sensible.

    Grammar: The full pattern is 'something keeps someone grounded'; here the object is 'me', so the phrase stays fixed as it is.

    Patterns

    • something keeps someone grounded
    • keep someone grounded
    • keeps me grounded

    My close friends keep me grounded when I start to believe my own publicity.

    Having a normal job and a noisy family keeps me grounded, even after a big success.

    She says her morning walk keeps me grounded — I mean, keeps her grounded — before a stressful day.

  2. phrasefixed phrasefigurative

    Keeps me connected to ordinary reality rather than letting me live in my imagination or dreams.

    Grammar: Used when talking about imagination, plans, or ambition; the opposite idea is 'lets my mind wander'.

    Patterns

    • keeps me grounded in reality
    • keeps me grounded in the real world

    Writing fiction is fun, but looking after my little brother keeps me grounded in reality.

    A strict budget keeps me grounded when I daydream about buying a house.

  3. phrasefixed phraseinformal

    Stops me from being punished by being kept at home as a child, especially as a teenager.

    Grammar: This is the literal family sense: a parent grounds a child, so 'keeps me grounded' means the punishment continues.

    Patterns

    • keeps me grounded for a week
    • keeps me grounded until I apologize

    My dad keeps me grounded every time I come home late.

    She keeps me grounded for the whole weekend if I forget to do my chores.

Common combinations

keep someone grounded
Fame is dangerous, so good friends try to keep you grounded.
stay grounded
He still stays grounded despite all the awards.
grounded in reality
Her advice is grounded in reality, not wishful thinking.
bring someone back down to earth
Losing that match brought me back down to earth.
down to earth
For a famous actor, he is surprisingly down to earth.

Synonyms and how they differ

humbles me
Focuses on making you feel less important; 'keeps me grounded' is broader and also suggests staying calm and practical.
keeps me realistic
Close in meaning, but it talks only about your view of what is possible, not about pride or calmness.
keeps me level-headed
Emphasizes staying calm and sensible under pressure, while 'grounded' also suggests staying modest.

Opposites

gives me a big headmakes me arrogant

Word family

ground verb
To stop a child going out as a punishment, or to base something on an idea.
grounded adjective
Sensible, calm, and not too proud; also used for a child who is being punished.
grounding noun
A basic training or knowledge in a subject, or the act of punishing a child.

Commonly confused: keeps me grounded or ground? keeps me grounded or down to earth?

keeps me grounded vs ground

As a verb, 'ground' means to punish a child or to base something on facts; the phrase 'keeps me grounded' uses the adjective form.

keeps me grounded vs down to earth

This describes a person's character directly ('she is down to earth'), while 'keeps me grounded' describes what something does to you.

Practice

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