aground
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of aground
Explanation
Aground describes a boat that's accidentally gone ashore, or is stuck on the bottom of a lake or other body of water. If your kayak goes aground, you may need to get out and push it further out in the bay. When you use the word aground, you're almost certainly talking about a boat or ship. If a sailboat runs aground, its hull can be damaged, which might even cause the boat to take on water. Running aground can be a minor inconvenience, or a major accident. Since about 1500, the adjective aground has been a nautical term that generally means "stranded on land."
Vocabulary lists containing aground
Red Kayak
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Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
HM Coastguard previously said the vessel remained aground and the responsibility of its owner.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
“The Little Sister” grows even more intriguing once the love affair runs aground, forcing Fatima to flounder in her heartache.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
Spurs have been run aground from top to bottom.
From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026
However, the Senate’s version of the bill ran aground after lawmakers planned to include the yield ban.
From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026
He thought of his father, his sloop aground on Anguilla Reef.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
