grieve

verb

\ ˈgrēv

grieved; grieving

Definition of grieve

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

Other Words from grieve Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about grieve

Keep scrolling for more

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

For instance, elephants have repeatedly been observed using tools and grieving their dead. — Paul Manger, Quartz Africa, "Elephants evolved larger brains partly thanks to climate change, say scientists," 28 June 2019 Luongo lives in Parkland, the town that is still grieving the 17 people who were shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018. — Tim Reynolds, sun-sentinel.com, "Panthers’ Luongo retires: ‘My body was telling me it just needed a rest’," 26 June 2019 Leone in April resigned from the council after suffering from health problems and grieving the loss of his wife of 63 years, Joan, who died in November. — Joshua Bowling, azcentral, "Six-term Peoria City Councilman Carlo Leone dies at 84 just months after resignation," 19 June 2019 For days after the killings, the newspapers ran entire pages of photographs of mourners in the pouring rain, grieving over rows of coffins. — Alma Guillermoprieto, The New York Review of Books, "A Reporting Life in Latin America," 6 June 2019 In Midsommar, another woman, a graduate student named Dani (Florence Pugh), is grieving her entire family after her apparently deeply depressed sister kills herself and her parents by piping car exhaust into the sealed-off house at night. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "Midsommar is a brutish, nasty daylight nightmare from the director of Hereditary," 20 June 2019 Santiago's daughter Alicia is still grieving her mother, and loathes Gigi's attempts to fill her mom's role not only in Santiago's heart, but also in the business that belonged to Alicia's mom in the first place. — Kaitlin Reilly, refinery29.com, "With Grand Hotel, Eva Longoria Puts More Women Behind The Camera — & More Man Candy In Front Of It," 15 June 2019 Family members are grieving the deaths of two brothers who are both presumed drowned after a boating incident at Lost Creek Lake on Sunday. — oregonlive.com, "North Carolina family grieving brothers killed in Lost Creek Lake boating incident," 11 June 2019 My community of black women were grieving yet again. — Rachel Elizabeth Cargle, Harper's BAZAAR, "When Feminism Is White Supremacy in Heels," 16 Aug. 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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about grieve

Dictionary Entries near grieve

Statistics for grieve

Last Updated

10 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for grieve

The first known use of grieve was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for grieve

grieve

verb

English Language Learners Definition of grieve

: to cause (someone) to feel sad or unhappy

: to feel or show grief or sadness

See the full definition for grieve in the English Language Learners Dictionary

grieve

verb

\ ˈgrēv

grieved; grieving

Kids Definition of grieve

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

grieve

verb

\ ˈgrēv

grieved; grieving

Medical Definition of grieve

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

Other Words from grieve

griever noun

Antidepressants do not ease the longing for the deceased that grievers feel. — Virginia Hughes, Scientific American, June 2011

Keep scrolling for more

grieve

verb

grieved; grieving

Legal Definition of grieve

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)