Bury — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ˈber-ē/

Meaning & Definition of Bury

Bury (verb)

  1. to dispose of by depositing in or as if in the earth; especially, to inter with funeral ceremonies
  2. to conceal by or as if by covering with earth
  3. to cover from view

Bury (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to place (a dead body) in the earth, a tomb, or the sea

    "he died on Tuesday and was buried on Friday"

    similar: entomb, hearse, inhume, inter, lay, put away, tomb
    related: immure, inurn, enshrine, conceal, cover, ensconce, hide, obscure, shade, shield, cloak, curtain, enshroud, shroud, rebury, reinter, coffin
    opposite: disinter, exhume, unearth
    near: burn, cremate, bare, disclose, discover, display, exhibit, expose, reveal, show, uncoffin

  2. to put into a hiding place

    "buried his face in his hands as his wife recounted the embarrassing incident"

    similar: cache, conceal, ensconce, hide, secrete
    related: hoard, squirrel (away), stash, entomb, inter
    opposite: display, exhibit
    near: bare, expose, reveal, show, uncover, unmask, unveil, unwrap, flaunt, parade, show off, disinter, unearth

  3. to defeat by a large margin

    "if we don't work harder, the other softball team will bury us"

    similar: annihilate, blow away, bomb, clobber, cream, drub, dust, flatten, paste, rout, shellac, skin, skunk, smoke (slang), smother, snow under, thrash, trim, tromp, trounce, wallop, wax (slang), whip, whomp, whop, whup, beat the pants off, eat alive, run circles around, wipe the floor with
    related: sweep, upset, beat, best, conquer, dispatch, hurdle, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), subdue, surmount, take, throw, triumph (over), win (against), worst, crush, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, overwhelm, subjugate, upend, vanquish, ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend, edge (out), nose out, pip (British), cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed, break, destroy, do in, finish, sink, slaughter

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bury

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bury:

Slang: smoke, wax
entomb, hearse, inhume, inter, lay, put away, tomb, cache, conceal, ensconce, hide, secrete, annihilate, blow away, bomb, clobber, cream, drub, dust, flatten, paste, rout, shellac, skin, skunk, smother, snow under, thrash, trim, tromp, trounce, wallop, whip, whomp, whop, whup, beat the pants off, eat alive, run circles around, wipe the floor with

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bury

Words with the opposite meaning of Bury:

disinter, exhume, unearth, display, exhibit

Related Words for Bury

immure, inurn, enshrine, cover, obscure, shade, shield, cloak, curtain, enshroud, shroud, rebury, reinter, coffin, hoard, squirrel (away), stash, sweep, upset, beat, best, conquer, dispatch, hurdle, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over)

Near Antonyms of Bury

burn, cremate, bare, disclose, discover, expose, reveal, show, uncoffin, uncover, unmask, unveil, unwrap, flaunt, parade, show off

Word Forms of Bury

Inflections: buried, burying

Origin & Etymology of Bury

Middle English burien, birien, beryen, going back to Old English byrgan, byrian, going back to Germanic *burgjan-, probably meaning "to conceal" (whence also Old Norse byrgja "to close, shut, hide"), zero-grade derivative from the base of *bergan- "to keep safe" harbor:1

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Bury

Words & Phrases Containing Bury

bury the hatchet

Frequently Asked Questions about Bury

What does "Bury" mean?

"Bury" means to dispose of by depositing in or as if in the earth; especially, to inter with funeral ceremonies. As a verb, it is defined as: to dispose of by depositing in or as if in the earth; especially, to inter with funeral ceremonies. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bury"?

Other words for "Bury" include entomb, hearse, inhume, inter, lay, put away, tomb and cache. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bury" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bury"?

There are 115 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bury". Common alternatives include entomb, hearse, inhume, inter, lay, put away, tomb, cache, conceal and ensconce.

What is the opposite of "Bury"?

Antonyms of "Bury" include disinter, exhume, unearth, display and exhibit. Near antonyms include burn, cremate, bare and disclose.

How do you use "Bury" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bury" in a sentence: "he died on Tuesday and was buried on Friday"; "buried his face in his hands as his wife recounted the embarrassing incident"; "if we don't work harder, the other softball team will bury us".

Is "Bury" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bury" is a verb.

Is "Bury" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Bury" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Bury"?

"Bury" is pronounced /ˈber-ē/.