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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Chris Brown has been arrested in the U.K. The Metropolitan Police confirmed to USA TODAY on May 15 that a 36-year-old man was arrested at a Manchester hotel just after 2 p.m. on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. Jay Stahl, USA Today, 17 May 2025 Despite Hawkins’ commitment to the bit, however, Laura is a cartoonish villain that makes identifying with or even understanding her grievous plight — there is no word in the English language for a person who’s lost a child, after all — a steep challenge. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 May 2025 The Grammy-winning singer was charged with one count of causing grievous bodily harm after being arrested at a hotel in England. Jade Walker, CNN Money, 16 May 2025 Chris Brown, the R&B singer, was ordered to be held in custody until June 13 by a court in Manchester, England, on Friday after he was charged with grievous bodily harm. Alex Marshall, New York Times, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for grievous

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

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Grievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grievous. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!