grieve

verb

ˈgrēv 

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

1

: to feel grief : sorrow

still grieving over their mother's death

2

: to bring a grievance

… as a union member, Jackson was obligated to grieve—not sue …

—Jackson v. Liquid Carbonic Corp., 863 F.2d 111 (1988)

Synonyms of grieve

• mourn
• ache
• sorrow

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 on the Web

Our team and community are grieving the loss of such a sweet and bright young girl. —Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025

Snider's team of family and friends used his social media account to grieve. —Audrey Gibbs, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025

While the technology is presented as a tool to preserve memories and help people process grief, critics called it immoral and unnatural, saying that simulating the dead risks distorting their memory or interfering with the grieving process. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025

Anyone that has experienced a tragic loss knows that the grieving process is different for everybody, and that includes Kneeland’s Cowboys teammates. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English greven, grieven "to injure, oppress, make angry, agitate, make sorrowful," borrowed from Anglo-French grever, greiver "to be a burden to, harm, afflict" (also continental Old French), going back to Latin gravāre "to make heavy, oppress, weigh heavily upon," derivative of gravis "heavy, oppressive, serious" — more at grave entry 2

Note: The change in vowel from Latin to French follows that of the adjective gref—see the etymology at grief.

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for grieve

• breve
• cleave
• cleeve
• cleve
• eave
• eve
• heave
• leave
• lieve
• neve
• reeve
• sheave

Kids Definition

grieve

verb

ˈgrēv 

grieved; grieving

1

: to cause grief or suffering to : distress

2

: to feel or express grief

3

: to submit a formal grievance concerning

griever noun

Etymology

Middle English greven "to distress, grieve," from early French grever (same meaning), from Latin gravare "to burden," from gravis "heavy, serious" — related to aggravate, grave entry 3, gravity

Medical Definition

grieve

verb

ˈgrēv 

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

griever noun

Antidepressants do not ease the longing for the deceased that grievers feel.

—Virginia Hughes, Scientific American

Legal Definition

grieve

verb

grieved; grieving

transitive verb

: to submit (a grievance) to a grievance procedure

wage claims…had been contractually grieved

—M. A. Kelly

intransitive verb

: to bring a grievance under a grievance procedure

as a union member, Jackson was obligated to grieve — not sue

—Jackson v. Liquid Carbonic Corp., 863 F.2d 111 (1988)