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

Millie, 10, and Elly, 3, love greeting George, the UPS driver who swings by their owners' office for deliveries, even running to greet him and receive treats. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026

Still energy proved infectious, with the dugout jumping up and down while greeting him with a line of high-fives. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026

And now, the cozy neighborhood spot has reopened to greet guests with a new look and new dishes. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2026

Nearby, American phenom Coco Gauff greets a line of bright-eyed children seeking autographs and selfies. — Hanlon Walsh, Midwest Living, 6 Aug. 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