grief-stricken

[greef-strik-uhn]

adjective

1. overwhelmed by grief; deeply afflicted or sorrowful.

grief-stricken

adjective

1. deeply affected by sorrow or distress

Word History and Origins

Origin of grief-stricken¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Related Words

• anguished 
• distressed 
• heartbroken 

When To Use

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.