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.

Technocrats and transhumanists greet every computational advance as a step toward transcendence.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Women in green scrubs and hairnets were lined up to greet her as her stretcher rolled out of the elevator.

From Salon • May 27, 2026

When Dr. Becky says to greet guilt that creeps in for not knowing this stuff, I do: “Hi, Guilt.”

From Slate • May 10, 2026

Art deco motifs, fossils and massive drawings of hands are among the installations that will greet riders passing through the three new stations on L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

“You kids ready to do us proud?” asked Mrs. Malvolio when she came over to greet the three Riverview Pirates.

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

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