aggrieved

adjective

ag·​grieved ə-ˈgrēvd How to pronounce aggrieved (audio)
1
: troubled or distressed in spirit
2
a
: suffering from an infringement or denial of legal rights
aggrieved minority groups
b
: showing or expressing grief, injury, or offense
an aggrieved plea
aggrievedly adverb

Examples of aggrieved in a Sentence

He felt aggrieved by their refusal to meet with him. The aggrieved party may cancel the contract.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But its sympathy for its aggrieved antihero feels very current. Katie Rife, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025 As the national anthem was playing, the aggrieved senator, Alejandro Moreno – president of the opposition party PRI – stepped up to the podium and grabbed the arm of Senate President Gerardo Fernández Noroña, of the ruling Morena party, and a shoving match ensued. José Álvarez, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025 Eberechi Eze has a particular reason to feel aggrieved. Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025 If, as the scholar Corey Robin has suggested, all reactionary movements have, at their heart, a fear of loss, then Boyle’s England is a conservative paradise, in which an aggrieved desire for the past manifests as a literal virus. Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for aggrieved

Word History

Etymology

Middle English agreved "annoyed, resentful," from past participle of agreven "to aggrieve"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aggrieved was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Aggrieved.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aggrieved. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

aggrieved

adjective
ag·​grieved ə-ˈgrēvd How to pronounce aggrieved (audio)
1
: troubled or distressed in spirit
2
: having a cause for complaint
especially : suffering from injury or loss

Legal Definition

aggrieved

adjective
: having a grievance: as
a
: suffering from an infringement or denial of rights
b
: having interests adversely affected
aggrieved creditors

More from Merriam-Webster on aggrieved

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