grievous

adjective

griev·​ous ˈgrē-vəs How to pronounce grievous (audio)
1
: causing or characterized by severe pain, suffering, or sorrow
a grievous wound
a grievous loss
2
: oppressive, onerous
grievous costs of war
3
: serious, grave
grievous fault
grievously adverb
grievousness noun

Examples of grievous in a Sentence

the grievous cost of war He took a foolish financial risk and suffered a grievous loss.
Recent Examples on the Web On arriving in the United States, the Ukrainian leader’s first stop was to visit soldiers undergoing rehabilitative surgery for grievous war wounds — an expression of appreciation for their care and to the fighters themselves. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2023 Thomas had apparently vexed Gardiner by exiting the podium to the wrong side, a grievous enough error to send the conductor into a deferred rage backstage. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2023 The provisional bliss juxtaposed with grievous finality. Jeff Weiss, Spin, 21 Aug. 2023 What happens is grievous, but the play leaves little doubt about the capacity of Black women to survive. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2023 Yet there is no question that Ms. Cotham has dealt a grievous blow to Democratic policy goals in North Carolina. David Perlmutt, New York Times, 31 July 2023 Millions prayed, marched, petitioned, voted, and made their voices heard to correct a grievous constitutional error. Jeff Bradford, National Review, 15 June 2023 That’s a grievous oversight, says Glaser, head of the CKDnt advocacy organization La Isla Network. Aryn Baker, Time, 9 Aug. 2023 Transitioning your wardrobe from summer to fall is often as grievous as getting your teeth pulled — but Chrissy Teigen may have found the most painless way to make the swap. Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 9 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grievous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see grieve

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grievous was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near grievous

Cite this Entry

“Grievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grievous. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

grievous

adjective
griev·​ous ˈgrē-vəs How to pronounce grievous (audio)
1
: heavy entry 1 sense 2, severe
the grievous cost of war
2
: causing pain, suffering, or sorrow
a grievous wound
3
: serious sense 4, grave
a grievous mistake
grievously adverb
grievousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on grievous

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