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Synonyms

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.


grounded British  
/ ˈɡraʊndɪd /

adjective

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of grounded

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

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.

Combat veteran Gerald Eddie Brown was grounded in the U.S.—and looking for a chance to fly again.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

The 737 MAX jets were grounded from March 2019 until November 2020, when the US Federal Aviation Administration cleared the aircraft to resume service after Boeing upgraded the MCAS.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

Togelius is clinging to hope, grounded in his decades of industry experience, that the potential of AI will ultimately create more immersive virtual worlds.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

Outside of music, what are some things that have been keeping you grounded and excited lately?

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

This is how Kyle Keeley got grounded for a week.

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

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