grievous

adjective

griev·​ous ˈgrē-vəs 

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

Synonyms

• bitter
• brutal
• burdensome
• cruel
• excruciating
• grim
• hard
• hardhanded
• harsh
• heavy
• inhuman
• murderous
• onerous
• oppressive
• rough
• rugged
• searing
• severe
• stiff
• tough
• trying

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

In these last 250 years, our country has made many grievous errors, starting with slavery, which would require a bloody Civil War to end. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025

Amidst the global rout of markets, Taiwanese energy companies’ losses were far more grievous than the worldwide average. —Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

Yet the idea that something that grievous could simply be healed or erased does not make sense in my world. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2025

New South Wales Police confirmed in a press release on Monday that the woman had been charged with three counts of wounding or grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder. —Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grevous, greveus "oppressive, burdensome, injurious, severe (of sickness, wounds)," borrowed from Anglo-French grevous, grevus (continental Old French grevos), from gref "burden, hardship, grief" + -ous -ous

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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