graveyard

American  

[greyv-yahrd] / ˈgreɪvˌyɑrd /

noun

1. a burial ground, often associated with smaller rural churches, as distinct from a larger urban or public cemetery.

2. Informal. graveyard shift.

3. a place in which obsolete or derelict objects are kept.

   an automobile graveyard.

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graveyard British  

/ ˈɡreɪvˌjɑːd /

noun

1. a place for graves; a burial ground, esp a small one or one in a churchyard

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Etymology

Origin of graveyard

First recorded in 1765–75; grave ¹ + yard ²

Compare meaning

How does graveyard compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cemetery vs. graveyard

Example Sentences

He drove to Arizona from his native California after determining that no other streamer had taken the graveyard shift on the Guthrie beat, and he plans on streaming the residence deep into the night.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2026

Fears of ending up in some unemployment graveyard mean workers hold on to lower wages or jobs they hate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

"There's a graveyard of voluntary industry initiatives that shows that handshake agreements and industry commitments are no better than the paper they're written on," Faber told AFP.

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

More than a century after the Penrods first arrived, the name is visible on road signs, a graveyard, and a good number of business cards, phone listings and high school year book entries.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

When I recovered, I asked her, “Was that the graveyard at the Community Church?”

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

Related Words

• burial ground
• cemetery