turn in one's grave

English

Alternative forms

• roll in one's grave, roll over in one's grave, spin in one's grave, turn over in one's grave (US)

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

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Verb

turn in one's grave (third-person singular simple present turns in one's grave, present participle turning in one's grave, simple past and past participle turned in one's grave)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see turn,‎ in,‎ one's,‎ grave.
2. (idiomatic) to be appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased

   Beethoven is probably turning in his grave at the way that rock group mangled his Ninth Symphony.

   The new scientific discovery about the gravitation particle could make Isaac Newton turn in his grave.

Translations

be appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 某人的棺材板都壓不住了／某人的棺材板都压不住了, 某人的棺材板都压不住了 (mǒurén de guāncaibǎn dōu yābùzhù le)

• Czech: obracet se v hrobě (cs)
• Finnish: kääntyä haudassaan
• French: se retourner dans sa tombe (fr)
• German: sich im Grabe umdrehen, sich im Grab umdrehen
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: megfordul a sírjában, forog a sírjában (hu)
• Italian: rigirarsi nella tomba, rivoltarsi nella tomba, girarsi nella tomba
• Lithuanian: grabe apsisuktų
• Polish: przewracać się w grobie
• Russian: переверну́ться в гробу́ (perevernútʹsja v grobú)
• Spanish: revolverse en su tumba
• Swedish: vända sig i sin grav