turn in one's grave

verb

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.”

Similar
roll in one's graveroll over in one's gravespin in one's grave
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Meanings

verbturn 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)

present singular third person turns in one's grave · participle present turning in one's grave · participle past turned in one's grave · past turned in one's grave · alternative turn over in one's grave

  1. idiomaticTo 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.

    3 more examples

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

    Brought forth wind that made critics rave / While Verdi turned round in his grave

    1937, Rodgers and Hart, “Johnny One Note”

    If he ever finds out who's hijacked his name / He'll cut out his heart and turn in his grave

    1989, The The, “Armageddon Days Are Here (Again)”, in Mind Bomb

    Synonyms: roll in one's grave, roll over in one's grave, spin in one's grave

  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see turn, in, one's, grave.

Synonyms & antonyms

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

Similar
roll in one's graveroll over in one's gravespin in one's grave
Also see
roll in one's graveroll over in one's gravespin in one's grave

Origin

Documented in English since 1801, perhaps from Jewish rabbinic tradition that the bones of Judah rolled about in his coffin for his shame during the Exodus.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan rodar en la seva tumba
  • rodar en la seva tumbabe 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
  • 某人的棺材板都壓不住了 /某人的棺材板都压不住了 (mǒurén de guāncaibǎn dōu yābùzhù le)be appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Czech obracet se v hrobě
  • obracet se v hroběbe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Dutch zich omdraaien in zijn graaf
  • zich omdraaien in zijn graafbe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Finnish kääntyä haudassaan
  • kääntyä haudassaanbe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
French se retourner dans sa tombe
  • se retourner dans sa tombebe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
German sich im Grabe umdrehen, sich im Grab umdrehen
  • sich im Grabe umdrehenbe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
  • sich im Grab umdrehenbe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Hungarian megfordul a sírjában, forog a sírjában
  • megfordul a sírjábanbe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
  • forog a sírjábanbe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Italian rigirarsi nella tomba, rivoltarsi nella tomba
  • rigirarsi nella tombabe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
  • rivoltarsi nella tombabe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
  • girarsi nella tombabe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Lithuanian grabe apsisuktų
  • grabe apsisuktųbe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Polish przewracać się w grobie, przewrócić się w grobie
  • przewracać się w grobiebe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
  • przewrócić się w grobiebe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Portuguese girar-se na sua sepultura, revirar-se no túmulo
  • girar-se na sua sepulturabe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
  • revirar-se no túmulobe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Romanian se răsuci în mormânt
  • se răsuci în mormântbe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Russian переверну́ться в гробу́
  • переверну́ться в гробу́ (perevernútʹsja v grobú)be appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Spanish revolverse en su tumba, revolcarse en su tumba
  • revolverse en su tumbabe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
  • revolcarse en su tumbabe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Swedish vända sig i graven, vända sig i sin grav
  • vända sig i gravenbe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
  • vända sig i sin gravbe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Turkish mezarında ters dönmek, kemikleri sızlamak
  • mezarında ters dönmekbe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
  • kemikleri sızlamakbe appalled, offended or disgusted by something, despite being deceased
Cite this entry
APA

turn in one's grave. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20in%20one's%20grave

MLA

“turn in one's grave.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20in%20one's%20grave. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “turn in one's grave,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20in%20one's%20grave.

Source: turn in one's grave on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.