greet

verb \ ˈgrēt \

|Updated on: 11 Aug 2018

Definition of greet

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 appear to the perception of

a surprising sight greeted her eyes

—

greeter

noun

Recent Examples of greet from the Web

Despite a petition, Scottish police have refused requests to allow the Trump Baby to fly over Turnberry, the president’s own golf course (where he was greeted with a mariachi band two years ago).

— alex ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, "London Protest Organizers Plan to Take the 'Trump Baby' Blimp on the Road," 13 July 2018
Rooney made the rounds these past two weeks and was greeted with much fanfare across the region.

— baltimoresun.com, "Digest (July 13): Wayne Rooney making D.C. United debut at new stadium," 13 July 2018
Trump was greeted at the palace by May, whose government has been rocked by resignations from ongoing tumult over Brexit.

— jonathan lemire and jill colvin, Fox News, "Trump brings his chaotic road show to Britain," 13 July 2018
Trump was greeted at the palace by May, whose government has been rocked by resignations from ongoing tumult over Brexit.

— jill colvin and jonathan lemire, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump praises May after throwing barbs, then meets the queen," 13 July 2018
Parents and children were greeted with closed lines and massive delays as consumers tried to bank on the stuffed animal company’s discount promotion, where shoppers would pay the amount equivalent to their age for a new toy.

— natalie dreier, ajc, "Chuck E. Cheese offer: Pay your child’s age for unlimited play today," 13 July 2018
Trump was greeted at the palace by May, whose government has been rocked by resignations from ongoing tumult over Brexit.

— Washington Post, "Trump pulls diplomatic backflip, praising May after barbs," 13 July 2018
Trump was greeted at the palace by May, whose government has been rocked by resignations from ongoing tumult over Brexit.

— jonathan lemire and jill colvin, chicagotribune.com, "Explosive Trump tabloid interview adds to chaos on 1st British visit," 13 July 2018
Kavanaugh is a favorite of the GOP legal establishment, and his arrival as President Donald Trump’s nominee was greeted on Capitol Hill with praise from Republicans and skepticism from Democrats.

— lisa mascaro, The Seattle Times, "Emotions high as Kavanaugh begins fight for confirmation," 10 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'greet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of greet

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

greet

verb

Definition of greet

grat play \ˈgrat\; grutten play \ˈgrə-tᵊn\

intransitive verb

Scotland

: weep, lament

Recent Examples of greet from the Web

And when the Trumps did arrive, pictures show Queen Elizabeth II greeting them with a big smile.

— emily wang, Teen Vogue, "President Donald Trump Was Reportedly Late to Meet With Queen Elizabeth II," 13 July 2018
Alaina, his wife, who is the singer and lyricist of the band, greets me with a warm hug.

— Longreads, "Tennis vs. Tennis," 13 July 2018
On top of this, the reaction of young Elliott to the news that football's coming home would be the exact feeling of lunacy that would greet us all if England do win the World Cup this weekend.

— SI.com, "It's Coming Home: 6 of the Best England World Cup Memes of the Summer So Far," 11 July 2018
When Yelich emerged from the dugout before batting practice, Justin Bour greeted him with a bear hug.

— matthew defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Christian Yelich returns to Marlins Park as an All-Star, in first place: 'I really did enjoy my five years here'," 9 July 2018
Ethiopia's reformist new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed arrived in Eritrea's capital and a live broadcast by Eritrea's state television showed President Isaias Afwerki greeting him at the airport.

— elias meseret, Fox News, "With hugs, leaders of rivals Ethiopia, Eritrea finally meet," 8 July 2018
Becca, still sheathed in her one-on-one dress, greets him.

— rebecca farley, refinery29.com, "The Bachelorette Season 14, Episode 6 Recap: Is Now Really The Time For A "Debate"?," 3 July 2018
There the police cheerfully greeted me as a colleague-as-adversary, a relationship hard to describe.

— scott lebar, sacbee, "A shooting in the family: The Capital Gazette is in my journalism DNA," 30 June 2018
Mom greeted him with a gun, cops say Two women dressed as nuns.

— jared gilmour, miamiherald, "Parents reported daughter missing. Cops found her — and the room she escaped, Ga. deputies say," 26 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of greet

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

GREET Defined for Kids

greet

verb \ ˈgrēt \

Definition of greet for Students

greeted; greeting

1 : to speak to in a friendly polite way upon arrival : welcome

2 : to respond to in a certain way

Audience members greeted the speech with boos.

3 : to present itself to

A pretty scene greeted them.

—

greeter

noun

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See words that rhyme with greet Spanish Central: Translation of greet Nglish: Translation of greet for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of greet for Arabic speakers

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