Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

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.


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.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

greet 2 British  
/ ɡriːt /

verb

  1. (intr) to weep; lament

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. weeping; lamentation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Appeared in the October 10, 2025, print edition as 'Closed Parking and Filthy Toilets Greet Visitors to National Parks'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

Nathan Aceves struck out six in five innings and Jayton Greet hit a home run.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2024

Great Britain's Harriet Dart missed out on the quarter-finals after losing a gruelling three-set match against Greet Minnen at the Guangzhou Open in China.

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2023

Venus Williams, 43, who won two of her seven Grand Slam singles titles at Flushing Meadows, was scheduled to play before Alcaraz on Arthur Ashe Stadium against qualifier Greet Minnen of Belgium.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 29, 2023

“Go well, jee ofuma. Greet Aunty and Uncle and Arize.”

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "greet" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com