grieve

verb \ ˈgrēv \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: grieve in a Sentence

Definition of grieve

grieved; grieving

transitive verb

1 : to cause to suffer : distress

it grieves me to see him this way

2 : to feel or show grief over

grieving the death of her son

3 : to submit a formal grievance concerning

grieve a dismissal

intransitive verb

: to feel grief : sorrow

still grieving over their mother's death

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griever

noun

See grieve defined for English-language learners

See grieve defined for kids

Examples of grieve in a Sentence

It grieves me to see my brother struggling like this.
Her decision to live overseas grieved her mother.
People need time to grieve after the death of a family member.
The children are still grieving the death of their mother.

Recent Examples of grieve from the Web

This insular mode of self-protection, my attempt at grieving from the outside in, quickly became toxic, rendering me wholly incapable of tending to anyone’s needs but my own.

— ashley abramson, Longreads, "A Motherless Daughter, Mothering," 11 May 2018
Governor Larry Hogan: The First Lady and I are shocked and grieved by the sudden passing of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz.

— baltimoresun.com, "Officials react to death of Kevin Kamenetz, Baltimore County executive and candidate for governor," 10 May 2018
And yet the Waffle House can also reveal our darker side, as shown by the disturbing police takedown of a female black customer that occurred at an Alabama outlet just as the nation was grieving over Nashville.

— will bunch, Philly.com, "Waffle House tragedy shows us how to curb mass killings. Will anyone listen? | Will Bunch," 24 Apr. 2018
The prospect of a significant change to Morgan’s status has unnerved people in circles beyond that of the grieving father.

— josh kovner, courant.com, "Six Years After Insanity Acquittal, Killer Of Wesleyan Student Could Gain Greater Freedoms," 12 Apr. 2018
The grieving father also recalled an incident in which A’layah may have gotten a concussion on the playground.

— anne branigin, The Root, "Father of 9-Year-Old Girl Who Committed Suicide Cautions Parents Not to Miss the Warning Signs," 20 Mar. 2018
In the days after the shooting, the world stopped and grieved with us.

— madeline ziecker, Marie Claire, ""The Last Time I Saw Her"," 11 Feb. 2016
Posted to Reddit by user NickMoore911, the image shows an ER doctor in Southern California grieving over the loss of a 19-year-old patient.

— marlisse cepeda, Woman's Day, "Heartbreaking Photo Shows Doctor Breaking Down After Losing Teenage Patient," 20 Mar. 2015
Planning Ahead in New England Dear Planning Ahead: There is no right or wrong answer to a question like yours because getting past the loss of a loved life partner (grieving) is an individual process.

— abigail van buren, Houston Chronicle, "Widow’s loving boyfriend is also an incorrigible flirt," 26 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of grieve

Middle English greven, from Anglo-French grever, from Latin gravare to burden, from gravis heavy, grave; akin to Greek barys heavy, Sanskrit guru

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

grieve Synonyms

Synonyms

agonize, anguish, bleed, hurt, mourn, sorrow, suffer;

Near Antonyms

beam, cheer, crow, delight, exult, glory, joy, laugh, ravish, rejoice, triumph;

assure, cheer, comfort, commiserate, console, reassure, solace, soothe, sympathize;

rack, torment, torture;

bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament, rue;

bawl, blubber, cry, groan, howl, keen, moan, sob, take on, wail, weep, yammer, yowl;

languish;

regret;

Phrases

eat one's heart out, tear one's hair;

GRIEVE Defined for English Language Learners

grieve

verb

Definition of grieve for English Language Learners

: to cause (someone) to feel sad or unhappy
: to feel or show grief or sadness

GRIEVE Defined for Kids

grieve

verb \ ˈgrēv \

Definition of grieve for Students

grieved; grieving

1 : to feel or show grief

a grieving widow

2 : to cause grief to

Her tears seemed to grieve the kind-hearted Munchkins …
—L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz

Medical Dictionary

grieve

verb \ ˈgrēv \

medical Definition of grieve

grieved; grieving

transitive verb

: to feel or show grief over

grieving the death of her son

intransitive verb

: to feel grief

Each member of a family is likely to grieve differently, creating great potential for conflict.
—Eric Schlosser, The Atlantic Monthly, September 1997

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