greet

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈgrēt 

greeted; greeting; greets

transitive verb

1

: to address with expression of kind wishes upon meeting or arrival

greeted guests at the door

2

a

: to meet or react to in a specified manner

greeted him with boos

b

: to occur as a response to

apathy greeted the plan

3

: to be seen or experienced by

a chaotic scene greeted them

were greeted by snow upon arrival at the airport

greeter noun

greet

2 of 2

verb (2)

grat ˈgrat  ; grutten ˈgrə-tᵊn 

intransitive verb

Scotland

: weep, lament

Examples of greet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The squad flew straight back to their training base in Chicago after the win, with Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch returning from their World Cup break to greet them. — James Pearce, New York Times, 26 July 2026

Hours before the game, the Clowns came out to greet the fans who were lined up waiting to get in. — Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2026

During Apple TV‘s Hall H panel, the BAFTA winner appeared via video to greet fans and share the first look at the cyberpunk sci-fi series based on the 1984 William Gibson book, premiering January 22 on the streamer. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 25 July 2026

With its rounded edges and carved-in handle pulls, the brand’s Adel sideboard can fit into your space in a number of ways, whether as a stylish TV stand or a modern entryway piece to greet visitors. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English greten, from Old English grētan; akin to Old English grǣtan to weep

Verb (2)

Middle English greten, from Old English grǣtan; akin to Old Norse grāta to weep

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing greet

• meet and greet

Rhymes for greet

• beat
• beet
• bleat
• cheat
• cleat
• creat
• deet
• eat
• feat
• feet
• fleet
• heat

Kids Definition

greet

verb

ˈgrēt

1

: to address upon arrival or meeting with expressions of kind wishes

greeted guests at the door

2

: to meet or react to in a specified manner

greeted with cheers

3

: to appear or present itself to

a surprising sight greeted her eyes

greeter noun