grave as a judge
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Thoroughly serious.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
... was as grave as a Judge , and evidently in sad , sober earnest as indeed appeared the next minute , when he went off into one of his fits of abstraction , but continued to talk to himself . From what he muttered it was plain that he was[…]
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “grave as a judge” mean?
Thoroughly serious.
Is “grave as a judge” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.