greet

verb \ ˈgrēt \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

Definition of greet

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

So far, Leto’s tour has involved greeting fans in Times Square, and performing in Grand Central and Penn Station.

— madeleine aggeler, The Cut, "Drivers Beware: Jared Leto Is Hitchhiking Across America," 4 Apr. 2018
Arabic coffee and treats greeted royal court petitioners at the Hilton.

— margherita stancati, WSJ, "Welcome to the Saudi Royal Court. Please Enjoy a Pumpernickel Bagel.," 4 Apr. 2018
Holguin and Hernandez work in the kitchen while Bianco warmly greets a curious passer-by.

— dominic armato, azcentral, "Bianco, Tacos Chiwas team could be opening one of Phoenix's best new restaurants," 3 Apr. 2018
On Monday, Trump dyed his body with orange Easter egg paint and greeted the children for the annual Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn.

— stephen a. crockett jr., The Root, "Donald Trump Sounds Crazy at Easter Egg Roll, Tells Children the Military Is at a Level They’ve Never Seen Before," 2 Apr. 2018
Last month, Saudi Arabia opened its airspace to a commercial flight to Israel, a groundbreaking symbolic step that Israel greeted with near-euphoria.

— laura king, latimes.com, "Saudi crown prince says Israelis, Palestinians both have 'right to have their own land'," 2 Apr. 2018
Last Thursday, the unmistakable sound of moving, packing tape being stretched across boxes, emanated from behind the window where visitors to the consulate were greeted.

— ryan blethen, The Seattle Times, "U.S. State Department officials stand guard outside closed Russian Consulate in Seattle," 2 Apr. 2018
The court ruled 5-4 that service advisers, who greet customers and propose various repair services, are salespeople.

— jessica gresko, BostonGlobe.com, "Supreme Court rules for car dealerships in overtime case," 2 Apr. 2018
If that is the case, Chiellini would look forward to it and greet Suarez warmly.

— SI.com, "Giorgio Chiellini Reveals He Wants to Swap Shirts With Luis Suarez Despite 2014 World Cup Bite," 2 Apr. 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

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

Visitors arriving at the front door are greeted by the Virgin Mary, whose toes stand in a sea of bright blue, emblematic of Lake Michigan.

— carole carlson, Post-Tribune, "The comeback church: Keeping the faith saved Gary's St. Mary of the Lake," 31 Mar. 2018
In Uber’s minimalist lobby, Khosrowshahi was greeted by two local staff members, who led him through a traditional Hindu lamplighting ceremony called an aarti.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "At Uber, a New C.E.O. Shifts Gears," 30 Mar. 2018
As the clocked ticked past midnight and the calendar turned to Nov. 1, Kim managed to retire both Brosius and Soriano in the 10th but then was greeted by a walk-off home run by Derek Jeter on a 3-2 pitch.

— bob mcmanaman, azcentral, "'You've gotta believe!' The Diamondbacks did just that during the 2001 World Series," 27 Mar. 2018
Visitors to Macy’s website or shopping app are greeted by generic merchandise and information about a discount.

— phil wahba, Fortune, "Macy's Ramps Up Tech Push With Virtual Reality and Personalized Online Shopping," 19 Mar. 2018
Every sign of life was greeted warmly by the pro-Carolina Spectrum Center crowd just to be let down shortly after.

— jonathan jones, SI.com, "No Confetti for North Carolina This Year as Texas A&M Sends Tar Heels Home," 18 Mar. 2018
Then, on Tuesday, a family moving from Oregon to Kansas was sent into a frenzy after being greeted by a Great Dane instead of their 10-year-old German shepherd, Irgo, at the Kansas City airport.

— mallorie sullivan, Cincinnati.com, "United Airlines flight diverted to Ohio after dog accidentally placed on wrong plane," 17 Mar. 2018
Once over the bridge folks are greeted by a vehicle painted in a beach landscape.

— brian kelly, AL.com, "Ugly Orange Beach mascot car gone bye bye?," 16 Mar. 2018
Upon invitation from Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, the Aga Khan was greeted at the Fulton County Airport by local officials Lt.

— atlanta life, ajc, "Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims, arrives in Atlanta," 14 Mar. 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

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

Learn More about greet

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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greet

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Origin and Etymology of greet

greet

Definition of greet

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Origin and Etymology of greet

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