greet

¹ American  

[greet] / grit /

verb (used with object)

1. to address with some form of salutation; welcome.

   Synonyms:

   accost, hail

2. to meet or receive.

   to be greeted by cheering crowds; to greet a proposal with boos and hisses.

3. to manifest itself to.

   Music greeted his ear as he entered the salon.

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verb (used without object)

1. Obsolete. to give salutations on meeting.

greet ² American  

[greet] / grit /

verb (used without object)

1. to grieve; lament; cry.

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verb (used with object)

1. to lament; bewail.

greet ¹ British  

/ ɡriːt /

verb

1. to meet or receive with expressions of gladness or welcome

2. to send a message of friendship to

3. to receive in a specified manner

   her remarks were greeted by silence

4. to become apparent to

   the smell of bread greeted him

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greet ² British  

/ ɡriːt /

verb

1. (intr) to weep; lament

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noun

1. weeping; lamentation

Other Word Forms

• greeter
  noun

Etymology

Origin of greet¹

before 900; Middle English greten, Old English grētan; cognate with German grüssen

Origin of greet²

before 900; Middle English grete, Old English grǣtan; cognate with ON grāta, Gothic gretan

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

greet

Trump is slated to greet his Chinese counterpart at Joint Base Andrews around 6 p.m.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

Recalling the moment he made it to his mother's house in Barking, he said: "They came running down the road to greet me."

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Want to accompany a friend or family member to their gate or greet them upon arrival?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Yet crowds were always there to greet him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Cocoa and Cleo greet JP and Alex with excited jumps and face licks.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

• accost
• acknowledge
• address
• approach
• attend
• embrace
• hail
• meet
• receive
• salute
• shake hands
• stop