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

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones spoke on the death of defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland for the first time on Tuesday, as his team continues to grieve the tragic passing of one of its own. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2025

In 1930s Scotland, a grieving teen defies his family and town by setting out to prove the existence of a mysterious creature, hoping to preserve the magic of his community and protect it from industrial ruin. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 10 Nov. 2025

Dolphins in the wild have been known to mourn the loss of their young, with one grieving dolphin mother carrying the body of her deceased calf for days off the coast of New Zealand in 2019. —Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025

When a Nevada man killed Officer Didarul Islam in a Midtown Manhattan mass shooting in July, Mamdani flew back from his wedding in Uganda to console Islam’s grieving family in the Bronx. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 7 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)