Meaning
seriously, critically, severely
In a sentence
Si è gravemente ferito giocando a calcio ieri.
He seriously injured himself playing soccer yesterday.
Due persone sono rimaste gravemente ferite nell'incidente.
Two people were seriously injured in the accident.
Non è gravemente malato, ma deve riposare.
He isn't seriously ill, but he needs to rest.
Usage notes
- Use gravemente for serious harm, illness, errors, or consequences; molto is not a natural substitute in these contexts.
- More formal and objective than male or malissimo; common in news, medical, legal, and official language.
- Often modifies participles and adjectives: gravemente ferito, gravemente malato, gravemente insufficiente.