grief

[greef]

noun

1. keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss; sharp sorrow; painful regret.

   Synonyms: moroseness, melancholy, sadness, misery, woe, heartache, anguish
   Antonyms: joy

2. a cause or occasion of keen distress or sorrow.

verb (used with or without object)

griefed, griefing 

1. Digital Technology.

   1. (in an online video game) to behave in an unsportsmanlike way or take pleasure in antagonizing (other players).

      I reported the jerk who griefed me yesterday—I hope they ban his account.

   2. to exploit a glitch or execute an online prank that ruins a website or other online experience for (users).

      Posting flashing content to an epilepsy site is taking griefing to a malicious and dangerous extreme.

grief

/ ɡriːf /

noun

1. deep or intense sorrow or distress, esp at the death of someone

2. something that causes keen distress or suffering

3. informal,  trouble or annoyance

   people were giving me grief for leaving ten minutes early

4. informal,  to end unsuccessfully or disastrously

5. See tune

Other Word Forms

• griefless adjective
• grieflessness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of grief¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English gref, grief, from Anglo-French gref; grieve

Word History and Origins

Origin of grief¹

C13: from Anglo-French gref, from grever to _grieve ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. come to grief, to suffer disappointment, misfortune, or other trouble; fail.

   Their marriage came to grief after only two years.

2. good grief, (used as an exclamation of dismay, surprise, or relief ).

   Good grief, it's started to rain again!

see come to grief; good grief.

Synonym Study

See sorrow.

Example Sentences

He had a private funeral in the Los Angeles area, followed by a public memorial in Toronto that prompted a national outpouring of grief in Canada.

From Los Angeles Times

"I've battled to keep our handmade jewellery boutique alive but grief has drained my strength and I must close our doors," it said.

From BBC

For the last few years, the 62-year-old has been trying to work out how to come to terms with simultaneous extreme success and debilitating grief.

From BBC

For me, the first half of 2025 was filled with sadness and grief, so I decided to embark on a mission.

From Los Angeles Times

There is, of course, still sharp political argument here but the emotional and practical backdrop is one of grief, fear and an ongoing police investigation.

From BBC

Related Words

• agony 
• anguish 
• bereavement 
• despair 
• discomfort 
• gloom 
• heartache 
• heartbreak 
• melancholy 
• misery 
• mourning 
• pain 
• regret 
• remorse 
• sadness 
• sorrow 
• trouble 
• unhappiness www.thesaurus.com
• woe 
• worry 

When To Use

What does grief mean?

Grief is mental or emotional suffering or distress caused by loss or regret. It’s especially used to refer to the feeling of sorrow and loss from the death of a loved one.People who are overwhelmed by grief are often described as grief-stricken. This kind of grief is most commonly associated with death, but the word can also be used in the context of other situations involving loss, such as a divorce or the loss of a job.The related verb grieve means to mourn—to feel or express intense grief, especially due to a death or loss.The word grief is also used informally to mean trouble or annoyance, as in Please don’t give your mother any grief when she gets home—her day has been hard enough already. Grief is used in the phrase good grief, which is typically used to express alarm or dismay.Grief is also used in the context of online gaming as a slang term that means something similar to the verb sense of troll—to take pleasure in antagonizing others.Example: I can’t imagine the amount of grief you feel from the loss of your mother.