aggrieve

American  

[uh-greev] / əˈgriv /

verb (used with object)

aggrieved, aggrieving

1. to oppress or wrong grievously; injure by injustice.

2. to afflict with pain, anxiety, etc.

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aggrieve British  

/ əˈɡriːv /

verb

1. (often impersonal or passive) to grieve; distress; afflict

   it aggrieved her much that she could not go

2. to injure unjustly, esp by infringing a person's legal rights

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Other Word Forms

• aggrievement noun

Etymology

Origin of aggrieve

1250–1300; Middle English agreven < Middle French agrever < Latin aggravāre to make heavy, worsen, equivalent to ag- ag- + grav- ( grave ² ) + -āre infinitive suffix; aggravate

Example Sentences

If a judge could cancel a CEO’s pay package, could a merger be unwound if some aggrieved shareholders argue it isn’t fair?

From The Wall Street Journal

In the next Cummins over, an aggrieved Smith was given caught behind attempting a wild pull shot.

From BBC

There seemed little cause for the 54-year-old to feel so aggrieved by the crowds blocking the roads as they celebrated at Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade on 26 May.

From BBC

He acknowledged the demand for “immediate action” but vowed to handle the situation responsibly without acting on “the word of an aggrieved party.”

From The Wall Street Journal

With the players out on their feet, the Twickenham air still humming with tension, Argentina aggrieved and the England bench relieved, they couldn't.

From BBC

Related Words

• oppress