grief

noun

1
a
: deep and poignant distress caused by or as if by bereavement
his grief over his son's death
b
: a cause of such suffering
life's joys and griefs
2
a
: trouble, annoyance
enough grief for one day
b
: annoying or playful criticism
getting grief from his friends
c
: an unfortunate outcome : disaster
used chiefly in the phrase come to grief
3
obsolete : grievance sense 2
Choose the Right Synonym for grief

sorrow, grief, anguish, woe, regret mean distress of mind.

sorrow implies a sense of loss or a sense of guilt and remorse.

a family united in sorrow upon the patriarch's death

grief implies poignant sorrow for an immediate cause.

the inexpressible grief of the bereaved parents

anguish suggests torturing grief or dread.

the anguish felt by the parents of the kidnapped child

woe is deep or inconsolable grief or misery.

cries of woe echoed throughout the bombed city

regret implies pain caused by deep disappointment, fruitless longing, or unavailing remorse.

nagging regret for missed opportunities

Examples of grief in a Sentence

He has been unable to recover from his grief at his son's death. She was overcome with grief. the joys and griefs of our lives I've had enough grief for one day. Trying to fix the computer isn't worth the grief. He's taken a lot of grief from his friends. His friends have been giving him a lot of grief.
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.
Fox Valley Hands of Hope has provided grief support to adults, children and families in the area since 1981, with no charge for services, the release noted. Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025 Death Takes Me, instead, suggests that personal grief and political anger can find expression, too, through ambiguity and irony—and even laughter. Nicolás Medina Mora, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2025 But Matthew’s grief shows that even a serious prosecution can perpetuate a family’s pain. Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 11 Mar. 2025 As routines and rituals evaporated, often replaced by grief, fear and isolation, many of us wondered: When will things go back to normal? Jenna Russell, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grief

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gref, grefe, greef, grief "hardship, distress, hurt, anger, sorrow," borrowed from Anglo-French gref "burden, molestation, wrong, hurt, hardship, calamity" (continental Old French grief), noun derivative of gref "heavy, burdensome, harsh, grievous," going back to Vulgar Latin *grevis, alteration (by association with its antonym levis "light in weight") of Latin gravis "heavy, oppressive, serious" — more at grave entry 2

Note: The Anglo-French/Old French noun could alternatively be a derivative of the verb grever—see grieve.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of grief was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Grief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grief. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

grief

noun
1
a
: deep sorrow : sadness
b
: a cause of sorrow
2
a
: things that cause problems
enough grief for one day
b
: an unfortunate happening
the boat came to grief on the rocks

Medical Definition

grief

noun
: deep and poignant emotional distress caused by or as if by bereavement
Although, there is no consensus on the defining features that would distinguish normal and pathological grief, it is generally accepted that grief becomes pathological when the reactions are excessive, prolonged, or unresolved.Jaye Wald and Rosemarie Alvaro, The Journal of Rehabilitation
also : a cause of such suffering

More from Merriam-Webster on grief

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