Looked instantly grave
/lʊkt ˈɪnstəntli ɡreɪv/
B2past tense
Definition
This phrase describes how a person’s face changes very quickly to show that they are serious, worried, or sad. "Looked" is the past form of "look," meaning to use eyes or show a certain expression. "Instantly" means very fast, right away. "Grave" means serious or thoughtful, often with a feeling of worry or sadness.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
Showing a serious or worried expression immediately
- •When he heard the news, he looked instantly grave.
- •She looked instantly grave after reading the letter.
- •The teacher looked instantly grave when the student fell ill.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "looked" like "see," but here it means showing feelings on the face.
- ✓Picture someone’s face changing from happy to serious in one second, like when they hear bad news.
- ✓It's the feeling when you realize something important or bad is happening, and your face shows it immediately.
- ✓Sounds like "looked" + "instant" + "grave" → imagine a person quickly looking serious like a "grave" (a place for a dead person) to remember sadness or seriousness.
- ✓Think of a movie scene where a character’s smile disappears instantly and their face becomes serious.
- ✓NOT like "smiled" (happy face), "looked instantly grave" shows a serious or worried emotion.
- ✓NOT like "waited" (no face change), here the change happens right away (instantly).
- ✓NOT like "looked confused" (shows not understanding), "looked grave" shows deep concern or sadness.
Try Other Words
- •Appeared serious: meaning the face showed seriousness (Use when the change is less sudden)
- •Became solemn: meaning the face showed deep seriousness or sadness (Use in formal or emotional situations)
- •Looked worried: meaning the face showed worry (Use when the emotion is more about anxiety than just seriousness)
Unboxing
- •"looked" = past tense of "look," meaning to show or direct eyes
- •"instantly" = adverb meaning very quickly, right away
- •"grave" = adjective meaning serious, solemn, or sad
- •From Old English "græf" meaning serious or heavy in feeling
- •The phrase combines action ("looked") + time ("instantly") + emotion ("grave") to describe a quick change in facial expression
- •Used often in stories or reports to show quick emotional reaction
Reflect & Connect
•What kinds of situations make people look instantly grave? Can you think of a time when you or someone else showed this expression?
•How does the phrase "looked instantly grave" help a reader understand a character's feelings without words?
Fill in the blanks
1.When the doctor entered the room, he looked instantly grave because ___ ___ ___.
2.She looked instantly grave after hearing the ___ ___ ___.
3.Unlike a smile, looking instantly grave shows a ___ ___ ___ feeling.
4.The manager looked instantly grave and then ___ ___ ___ the problem carefully.
5.People often look instantly grave when they receive ___ ___ ___ news.
6.The phrase "looked instantly grave" means the change in expression happened ___ ___ ___.
7.If someone looked instantly grave, we can guess they ___ ___ ___ something serious.