buried
HighNeutral (Formal and Informal)
Definition
Meaning
The past tense and past participle form of 'bury': to place something, typically a dead body, in the ground and cover it.
To hide, cover, or conceal something; to become deeply engrossed or absorbed in an activity; to suppress or ignore an emotion or memory.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
'Buried' has a concrete physical meaning and a rich range of figurative uses. The figurative senses of concealment, immersion, and suppression are all common.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or grammatical differences. Pronunciation differs slightly (see IPA). Spelling is consistent.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties. The figurative sense of being overwhelmed ('buried in work') is universal.
Frequency
Equally common and used identically in all registers in both BrE and AmE.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] buried [Object] (in/under [Location])[Subject] is/was buried [with/next to] [Object][Subject] got buried in [Activity/Work]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “buried the hatchet”
- “dead and buried”
- “have one's head buried in the sand”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'The report was buried in the appendix.' (Made difficult to find); 'She's buried in emails.' (Overwhelmed).
Academic
Archaeologists discovered a buried city. (Literal); The theory was buried by contradictory evidence. (Figurative - suppressed).
Everyday
He buried his keys in his pocket. (Placed deep); They buried their dog in the garden. (Literal).
Technical
The pipeline is buried three metres underground. (Engineering); The data is buried in the server logs. (IT).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The family buried their grandfather in the local churchyard.
- He buried the embarrassing photo at the bottom of the drawer.
American English
- They buried the time capsule under the old oak tree.
- The quarterback buried his frustration after the loss.
adverb
British English
- This fact is buried deep within the contract's clauses.
American English
- The file was buried deep in the computer's directory.
adjective
British English
- The buried cable was accidentally severed by builders.
- She accessed the buried memories with great difficulty.
American English
- They followed the map to the buried treasure.
- The buried lead in the story was finally revealed.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The cat buried its toy in the garden.
- My keys are buried in my bag.
- Ancient coins were buried here centuries ago.
- He was buried in his favourite book all afternoon.
- After the argument, they decided to bury the hatchet and move on.
- The crucial evidence was deliberately buried by the prosecution.
- The politician's past scandals have been effectively buried by a sophisticated media campaign.
- She buried herself in her research to avoid dealing with her grief.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BERRY (sounds like 'bury') that you drop on the ground. You have to cover it with dirt to BURY it. Yesterday, you BURIED it.
Conceptual Metaphor
KNOWLEDGE/TRUTH IS HIDDEN UNDERGROUND (We 'uncover' facts, 'dig up' information). PROBLEMS ARE PHYSICAL OBJECTS (We 'bury our heads' to avoid them).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not use 'buried' for temporarily misplacing an object (use 'lost' or 'put away').
- The phrase 'buried in work' is an idiom meaning 'very busy', not a physical act.
- Avoid direct calque from Russian phrases like 'bury a talent'—use 'hide' or 'waste'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: *'She buried her phone.' (if she just lost it). Correct: 'She lost her phone.'
- Incorrect: *'I am buried by this book.' (if simply reading). Correct: 'I am buried *in* this book.' (if completely absorbed).
- Spelling confusion with 'berry'.
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'buried' used in a purely figurative sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While its core meaning relates to interment, it is very commonly used figuratively for hiding, concealing, or becoming absorbed in something (e.g., buried in work, buried treasure).
'Buried' implies being put under a surface (earth, pile, etc.). 'Hidden' is more general and can mean placed out of sight anywhere. A book can be hidden on a shelf, but it is 'buried' only if under a pile of other books.
It is pronounced as /id/ (an extra syllable: 'ber-reed'), because the base verb 'bury' ends in a vowel sound /i/. This is different from regular past tenses like 'walked' where '-ed' is pronounced /t/ or /d/.
Yes. A 'buried cable' is a cable that is laid underground. 'Buried memories' are memories that are suppressed. It functions as a participial adjective derived from the past participle.
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