greet

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈgrēt 

greeted; greeting; greets

transitive verb

1

: to address with expression of kind wishes upon meeting or arrival

greeted guests at the door

2

a

: to meet or react to in a specified manner

greeted him with boos

b

: to occur as a response to

apathy greeted the plan

3

: to be seen or experienced by

a chaotic scene greeted them

were greeted by snow upon arrival at the airport

greeter noun

greet

2 of 2

verb (2)

grat ˈgrat  ; grutten ˈgrə-tᵊn 

intransitive verb

Scotland

: weep, lament

Examples of greet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Union stalwarts representing steelworkers, utility workers, construction workers and others greeted the 73-year-old Democrat with resounding cheers and endless handshakes. — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026

We were greeted at the gate by three galloping horses and over a dozen hounds, who gracefully led us to the castle, where we were met by the delightful staff. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026

On a visit to the store Wednesday afternoon, The Star was greeted by a display of potatoes that had exactly seven bags of the starchy staple. — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026

Beyond the front door, wreaths make sense over a mantel or in a prominent place to greet guests in an entryway. — Vy Yang, Architectural Digest, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English greten, from Old English grētan; akin to Old English grǣtan to weep

Verb (2)

Middle English greten, from Old English grǣtan; akin to Old Norse grāta to weep

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing greet

• meet and greet

Rhymes for greet

• beat
• beet
• bleat
• cheat
• cleat
• creat
• deet
• eat
• feat
• feet
• fleet
• heat

Kids Definition

greet

verb

ˈgrēt

1

: to address upon arrival or meeting with expressions of kind wishes

greeted guests at the door

2

: to meet or react to in a specified manner

greeted with cheers

3

: to appear or present itself to

a surprising sight greeted her eyes

greeter noun