aggrieve

verb

ag·​grieve ə-ˈgrēv 

aggrieved; aggrieving

transitive verb

1

: to give pain or trouble to : distress

2

: to inflict injury on

Choose the Right Synonym for aggrieve

wrong, oppress, persecute, aggrieve mean to injure unjustly or outrageously.

wrong implies inflicting injury either unmerited or out of proportion to what one deserves.

a penal system that had wronged him

oppress suggests inhumane imposing of burdens one cannot endure or exacting more than one can perform.

a people oppressed by a warmongering tyrant

persecute implies a relentless and unremitting subjection to annoyance or suffering.

a child persecuted by constant criticism

aggrieve implies suffering caused by an infringement or denial of rights.

a legal aid society representing aggrieved minority groups

Examples of aggrieve in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The fallout will be significant, and United have every right to be aggrieved. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

The darker corners of the internet are all too eager to offer men a compelling list of reasons for why their lives are unfulfilling, as well as an echo chamber full of the similarly aggrieved. — T. M. Brown, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026

But talks broke down in dramatic fashion, leaving both sides aggrieved and accusing the other of negotiating in bad faith. — Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

On that night, this game of decorum belonged to the aggrieved and the sloshed—at least until Medvedev lost in five sets. — Owen Lewis, Air Mail, 29 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English agreven "to affect adversely, disturb, distress," borrowed from Anglo-French agrever "to make burdensome, worsen," going back to Latin aggravāre "to weigh down, burden, make worse" — more at aggravate

Note: The vowel -e- in agrever shows influence of grever "to grieve."

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for aggrieve

• achieve
• believe
• conceive
• deceive
• naive
• perceive
• receive
• relieve
• reprieve
• retrieve
• breve
• cleave

Legal Definition

aggrieve

transitive verb

ag·​grieve ə-ˈgrēv 

aggrieved; aggrieving

: to inflict injury on: as

a

: to adversely affect the interests of

was not the party aggrieved by the exemption

b

: to infringe or deny the rights of

a person aggrieved by an unlawful search and seizure

—Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 41(g)