1
: causing or characterized by severe pain, suffering, or sorrow
a grievous wound
a grievous loss
2
: oppressive, onerous
grievous costs of war
grievously
adverb
grievousness
noun
Synonyms
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
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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
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.
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Kids Definition
grievous
adjective
griev·ous
ˈgrē-vəs 
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
Nglish: Translation of grievous for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of grievous for Arabic Speakers
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