Definition of grievancenext

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun grievance contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of grievance are injury, injustice, and wrong. While all these words mean "an act that inflicts undeserved hurt," grievance applies to a circumstance or condition that constitutes an injustice to the sufferer and gives just ground for complaint.

a list of employee grievances

When is injury a more appropriate choice than grievance?

While the synonyms injury and grievance are close in meaning, injury applies in law specifically to an injustice for which one may sue to recover compensation.

libel constitutes a legal injury

When could injustice be used to replace grievance?

The words injustice and grievance can be used in similar contexts, but injustice applies to any act that involves unfairness to another or violation of one's rights.

the injustices suffered by the lower classes

When is it sensible to use wrong instead of grievance?

In some situations, the words wrong and grievance are roughly equivalent. However, wrong applies also in law to any act punishable according to the criminal code; it may apply more generally to any flagrant injustice.

determined to right society's wrongs

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of grievance The regime understands that a purely symbolic victory would not suffice to win over regime opponents who have temporarily set aside their grievances for the sake of wartime unity, or those hardliners who have reluctantly halted calls for war on the promise of major concessions from Washington. Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 18 June 2026 While the two keep drinking and wait for a rare lunar event, old grievances, outrageous escapades, and macho rivalries explode to the surface. Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 18 June 2026 Thus, the movie ends with Shorty and Ray putting aside their grievances with Cindy and Brenda to leave the remaining new characters for dead in a burning house. Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 17 June 2026 That didn’t happen, and the alders felt compelled on Monday to air their grievances with the fifth floor in public. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for grievance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grievance
Noun
  • Unlike the 13 colonies, East and West Florida were largely unaffected by the British Stamp Act and other taxes that fueled resentment elsewhere because the colonies produced relatively little for the British colonial economy.
    Hank Tester, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • When a leader isn't accountable to the process, the word becomes a do-as-I-say cliché that breeds resentment instead of results.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Noun
  • The air district is still encouraging residents to report odors to its online complaint system or by calling (800) 288-7664.
    Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • The dietitian thought there might be a correlation, according to an internal Abbott summary of the complaint shown during Colombo’s deposition.
    David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • Most weddings have some logistical drama — exes with grudges, estranged former besties, etc.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026
  • That's a grudge he's carried that he's described publicly.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 June 2026
Noun
  • That is, until you are subjected to the relentless whine of mosquitoes.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 30 June 2026
  • Test recordings sounded clear and full, and the noise cancellation completely blocked out the buzz and whine of my 3D printer.
    Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 14 June 2026
Noun
  • But for now, she’s unbothered by all the fuss and plans to relax into the summer with her family.
    Josef Adalian, Vulture, 29 June 2026
  • Some of the South’s sweetest small towns are more than ready to welcome you for a laidback, fuss-free, quiet weekend away.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 June 2026
Noun
  • The child’s eyes were swollen and milky, their mouth agape in a silent moan.
    Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 23 May 2026
  • Where my world was hemmed in by ridgelines and holler roads, Mary Lennox’s world was hemmed in by fog and wind and the low moan of a manor house that seemed to breathe on its own.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Grievance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grievance. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

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