grievance

American  

[gree-vuhns] / ˈgri vəns /

noun

1. a wrong considered as grounds for complaint, or something believed to cause distress.

   Inequitable taxation is the chief grievance.

   Synonyms:

   distress, injury, hurt, injustice, affront

2. a complaint, as against an unjust or unfair act.

   to have a grievance against someone.

3. a feeling or belief that one has been wronged, oppressed, or is the victim of an injustice; resentment.

   The conflict on campus was described as the result of racial grievance or victim culture, depending on who reported it.

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grievance British  

/ ˈɡriːvəns /

noun

1. a real or imaginary wrong causing resentment and regarded as grounds for complaint

2. a feeling of resentment or injustice at having been unfairly treated

3. obsolete affliction or hardship

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grievance Idioms  

1. see air one's grievances.

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Other Word Forms

• pregrievance noun

Etymology

Origin of grievance

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English greva(u)nce, greva(u)ns “injury, offense, annoyance,” from Old French grevance “harm, injury, trouble, misfortune”; grieve, -ance

Example Sentences

There was no recalibration nor hint of strategic retreat, only chest-thumping and grievance.

From Salon

One particularly confounding and repeated grievance is the film’s title.

From Salon

This year is no different, but voter grievances are more acute.

From Salon

But Yoon also tapped into pre-existing anxieties and grievances, especially among young men, activating a latent undercurrent of discontent and driving it to the surface.

From BBC

Americans are likely be astonished at how grievances from centuries ago seem like fresh insults.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• grief
• hardship
• injustice
• objection
• outrage
• resentment
• sorrow
• unhappiness