grieve
Americanverb (used without object)
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grieves,
present (3rd person singular)
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grieved,
past participle, past
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grieving
present participle
verb
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to feel or cause to feel great sorrow or distress, esp at the death of someone
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obsolete (tr) to inflict injury, hardship, or sorrow on
noun
Usage
What does grieve mean? To grieve is to feel or express intense grief—mental or emotional suffering or distress caused by loss or regret. Grieve often means the same thing as mourn. It’s especially used in the context of someone who is mourning the death of a loved one. However, the word can also be used in the context of other situations involving loss or regret, such as the end of a relationship or the loss of a job. Less commonly, grieve can mean to cause someone to feel grief, as in It grieves me to see you so sad. Grieve should not be confused with bereave, which means to take away and leave devastated. Those who are grieving are those who have been bereaved. Example: After losing someone close, it’s important to take the time to grieve.
Synonym Usage
Grieve, mourn imply showing suffering caused by sorrow. Grieve is the stronger word, implying deep mental suffering often endured alone and in silence but revealed by one's aspect: to grieve over the loss (or death ) of a friend. Mourn usually refers to manifesting sorrow outwardly, either with or without sincerity: to mourn publicly and wear black.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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grievernoun
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grievingnoun
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overgrieveverb
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nongrievedadjective
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nongrievingadjective
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ungrievedadjective
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ungrievingadjective
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grievedlyadverb
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grievinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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grievesimple
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grievessimple
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have grievedperfect
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has grievedperfect
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am grievingprogressive
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are grievingprogressive
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is grievingprogressive
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have been grievingperfect progressive
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has been grievingperfect progressive
Past
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grievedsimple
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had grievedperfect
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was grievingprogressive
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were grievingprogressive
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had been grievingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of grieve
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English greven, grieven, from Old French grever, from Latin gravāre “to burden,” verb derivative of gravis “heavy”; see grave 2
Explanation
To grieve is to feel sorrow over something, especially people who have died. The most common use of grieve has to do with death: usually there are grieving family members and grieving friends, feeling sadness over the loss of a loved one. You can also grieve over a pet who died, a job you didn't get, or a favorite pair of shoes that were ruined. Usually there's some kind of loss involved, but as long as you feel extremely sad about something that's happened, you're grieving.
Vocabulary lists containing grieve
Instead of "Said": Words For Sad Speech
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Good Grief!: Grav, Griev
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Bush's Address on 9/11
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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.
See Examples For:
Her estate work now feels like an extension—and a way to grieve with, and rely on, her sister.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
They say they have been unable to grieve properly, and that the Probation Service especially "failed" to do its job.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
"Twenty-five years after 9/11, we mourn and we grieve what happened, and at the same time, we recognize that I am not responsible for what happened," he told AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
“Our hearts are with Carla’s family and loved ones during this devastating time. We respectfully ask that their privacy be honored as they grieve this unimaginable loss.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
"He is only a foolish boy, but I have loved him like a brother. It would grieve me to see him die."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
“We are a first-world country, and speaking as a physician that knows this can be prevented, it grieves me,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
At 19:26 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country grieves alongside the UK at this time.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2025
He said the whole town "still grieves greatly".
From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2025
“Everyone who grieves has questions,” McKinnon said, “but she had no answers.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2024
Lourdes grieves for these victims as if they were beloved relatives.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
The family asked for privacy whilst they grieved and supported one another, adding: "We would like to thank everyone for their kindness, support and understanding."
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
"We are grieved, we are scared," she says.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Montazeri grieved by sitting in front of his mother’s vanity, imagining she was sitting behind the mirror asking him everyday questions about homework or chores.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026
He also grieved for the moments he would not be able to share with his parents in the future.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026
Mariam grieved for this baby, this particular child, who had made her so happy for a while.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
"I feel like I'm still very much grieving but I can just go and sit there and think about her and reflect on things."
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Nurses preserve handprints and footprints for grieving families.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
"Unsolved cases involve real victims, grieving families and investigators working to secure answers," the statement added.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Dame Esther's own words feature in the Daily Mirror, after the note she left her grieving family prior to her death was shared with the general public.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Though grieving, the women of the 46th Guards didn’t react to Dusya’s death with fear or discouragement.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
