grounded

American  

[groun-did] / ˈgraʊn dɪd /

adjective

1. mentally or emotionally balanced; having a peaceful, practical, or realistic outlook.

   His more grounded, common-sense view of the situation was a helpful counter to my flights of fancy.

   I love being around them, because they're really grounded.

2. Aeronautics. (of an aircraft) being brought or restricted to the ground because of bad weather, the unsatisfactory condition of the aircraft, etc.

   Grounded flights have cost airlines in excess of $2 billion this year alone.

3. Electricity. having a conducting connection between an electric circuit or equipment and the earth or some other conducting body.

   This equipment must be plugged into a grounded outlet.

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grounded British  

/ ˈɡraʊndɪd /

adjective

1. sensible and down-to-earth; having one's feet on the ground

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Other Word Forms

• groundedly adverb
• groundedness noun

Etymology

Origin of grounded

First recorded in 1955–60; ground ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Planes have been grounded for hours waiting for threats to subside.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

“When leaders clearly make the case grounded in freedom, safety and dignity, voters respond. But when they hedge, it creates a vacuum that bad actors fill.”

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

The Stormers were convinced they had grounded the ball late in the match, but referee Christophe Ridley's 'no try' decision was upheld after a review.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

“Everything we do at CalSTRS is grounded in our mission to secure the financial future of California’s current and retired public school teachers,” Zumwalt said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

I wanted him to be hopeful but grounded enough to manage whatever the court decided.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• alive
• appreciative
• apprehensive
• attentive
• awake
• cognizant
• conscious
• familiar
• informed
• mindful
• receptive
• wise