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

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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

Foy, 34, plays the role of the woman who must wait on earth, caring for the Armstrong children, Eric and Mark, and grieving the loss of their sister, Karen (who, at age 2, died of complications relating to a brain tumor). — Gavanndra Hodge, WSJ, "Claire Foy Steps Into the Spotlight," 9 Jan. 2019 Garland splays these big ideas brazenly, grounding them in Portman’s performance as grieving widow, curious scientist and fierce warrior. — Katie Walsh, idahostatesman, "‘Annihilation’ is bold, adventurous and strange | Idaho Statesman," 22 Feb. 2018 The grieving families of 36 people killed in a Northern California 2016 warehouse fire who helped scuttle a plea bargain may now see their demand for a jury trial granted. — Paul Elias, Fox News, "Men charged in warehouse fire deaths to appear in court," 17 Aug. 2018 Amid the relief efforts, grieving people in Mozambique struggled to bury the dead. — Nqobile Ntshangase, The Seattle Times, "‘Second disaster’ warned in Mozambique as cholera a concern," 26 Mar. 2019 His absence, still grieved by many admirers, offers at least one consolation. — Danny Heitman, WSJ, "Remembering Pat Conroy: Southern Comforter," 1 Mar. 2019 Families need time to grieve, to process the horror, Yvonne Atteberry said. — Maxine Bernstein, OregonLive.com, "Thurston 20 years later: 'We know exactly how they feel'," 20 May 2018 After Cory's unexpected passing, Lea asked to grieve privately, and help Cory's family through the difficult time. — Samantha Zabell, Seventeen, "Lea Michele Speaks Out On Cory Monteith's Death," 30 July 2013 But the result is a surprisingly engaging, remarkably well-written mediation on the different, less-celebrated ways to grieve. — Pilot Viruet, The Verge, "The 12 best overlooked TV shows of 2018," 14 Dec. 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.

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Dictionary Entries near grieve

Statistics for grieve

Last Updated

15 May 2019

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Time Traveler for grieve

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

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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

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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)