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

One of them gave both me and my wife grievous sores. —Jay Martel, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

Police arrested Dean three days later and charged him with assault causing grievous bodily harm and throwing a corrosive substance with intent to maim, burn or disfigure. —Sean Neumann, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024

Eva is determined to right a grievous wrong done to her mother as soon as the opportunity presents itself. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024

What makes the situation all the more grievous, at least for me, is that Robinson is running as an outspoken evangelical. —David French, The Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2024

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