grieve

verb

grieved; grieving

transitive verb

1
: to cause to suffer : distress
it grieves me to see him this way
2
: to feel or show grief over
grieving the death of her son
3
: to submit a formal grievance concerning
grieve a dismissal

intransitive verb

: to feel grief : sorrow
still grieving over their mother's death

Examples of grieve in a Sentence

It grieves me to see my brother struggling like this. Her decision to live overseas grieved her mother. People need time to grieve after the death of a family member. The children are still grieving the death of their mother.
Recent Examples on the Web Then there’s the business of getting back to work, back to life while grieving. Cody Delistraty, TIME, 1 July 2024 Research shows that both partners grieve following a miscarriage, but may express this grief in different ways. Krissi Danielsson, Parents, 1 July 2024 In May 2023, Nicks expressed her gratitude to Swift for writing the song, at it’s helped her in grieving the late Christine McVie, Nicks’ dear friend and bandmate who passed away in November 2022. Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 30 June 2024 And frankly, like so many of you, my wife and I are shocked, devastated and grieving. Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 27 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for grieve 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grieve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English greven, from Anglo-French grever, from Latin gravare to burden, from gravis heavy, grave; akin to Greek barys heavy, Sanskrit guru

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near grieve

Cite this Entry

“Grieve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grieve. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

grieve

verb
grieved; grieving
1
: to cause grief or suffering to : distress
2
: to feel or express grief
3
: to submit a formal grievance concerning
griever noun
Etymology

Middle English greven "to distress, grieve," from early French grever (same meaning), from Latin gravare "to burden," from gravis "heavy, serious" — related to aggravate, grave entry 3, gravity

Medical Definition

grieve

verb
grieved; grieving

transitive verb

: to feel or show grief over
grieving the death of her son

intransitive verb

: to feel grief
Each member of a family is likely to grieve differently, creating great potential for conflict.Eric Schlosser, The Atlantic Monthly
griever noun
Antidepressants do not ease the longing for the deceased that grievers feel. Virginia Hughes, Scientific American

Legal Definition

grieve

verb
grieved; grieving

transitive verb

: to submit (a grievance) to a grievance procedure
wage claims…had been contractually grievedM. A. Kelly

intransitive verb

: to bring a grievance under a grievance procedure
as a union member, Jackson was obligated to grieve — not sueJackson v. Liquid Carbonic Corp., 863 F.2d 111 (1988)

More from Merriam-Webster on grieve

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