grief-stricken

American  

[greef-strik-uhn] / ˈgrifˌstrɪk ən /

adjective

1. overwhelmed by grief; deeply afflicted or sorrowful.

---

grief-stricken British  

adjective

1. deeply affected by sorrow or distress

---

Usage

What does grief-stricken mean? Grief-stricken means overwhelmed or strongly affected by grief—mental or emotional suffering or distress caused by loss or regret. It’s especially used to describe a person who is feeling intense sorrow and loss from the death of a loved one. The word stricken is the past participle of the verb strike, but it can also be used as an adjective meaning the same thing as afflicted. The word grief can also be used in the context of other situations involving loss, such as a divorce or the loss of a job, but grief-stricken is usually only used to describe those who are feeling grief due to a death. In other words, those who are grief-stricken are usually those who are grieving or mourning. Example: She was absolutely grief-stricken after the loss of her mother.

Etymology

Origin of grief-stricken

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Grief stricken after her father’s death, Susan Casey went to Maui for surf and solace.

From National Geographic • Aug. 16, 2015

Related Words

• anguished
• distressed
• heartbroken