aggrieved

adjective

ag·​grieved ə-ˈgrēvd 

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

… he would look up with such an aggrieved air …

—Lucy Maud Montgomery

aggrievedly

ə-ˈgrē-vəd-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of aggrieved

• dissatisfied
• frustrated

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

Seemingly, the aggrieved fans have no recourse. —John Cassidy, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

Amid all their attacks and counter-attacks, what motivates each aggrieved party comes to light, painting a rich, empathetic portrait of lives lived under immense pressure — and the illogical outlets that sometimes become our only means of relief. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026

OutKick’s Davey Hudson took to the streets of Nashville and New York City last month to talk to aggrieved football fans. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2026

Liverpool had their own reasons to feel aggrieved when Ibrahima Konate had a goal denied after the ball was deemed to have dribbled in. —James Pearce, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for aggrieved

• disbelieved
• interleaved
• misconceived
• preconceived
• undeceived
• unperceived
• unrelieved
• achieved
• believed
• bereaved
• conceived
• deceived

Kids Definition

aggrieved

adjective

ag·​grieved ə-ˈgrēvd 

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