grieve
Americanverb (used without object)
-
grieves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
grieved,
past participle, past
-
grieving
present participle
verb
-
to feel or cause to feel great sorrow or distress, esp at the death of someone
-
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
-
grievernoun
-
grievingnoun
-
overgrieveverb
-
nongrievedadjective
-
nongrievingadjective
-
ungrievedadjective
-
ungrievingadjective
-
grievedlyadverb
-
grievinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
grievesimple
-
grievessimple
-
have grievedperfect
-
has grievedperfect
-
am grievingprogressive
-
are grievingprogressive
-
is grievingprogressive
-
have been grievingperfect progressive
-
has been grievingperfect progressive
Past
-
grievedsimple
-
had grievedperfect
-
was grievingprogressive
-
were grievingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Good Grief!: Grav, Griev
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Bush's Address on 9/11
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
You can grieve the loss of your childhood home without assigning blame.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
In a new BBC programme, Unseen: The Aberfan Portraits, some have shared their paintings and spoken about how the art helped them grieve.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The GoFundMe fundraiser was launched by Kate Jones to help cover Harrison's funeral and memorial costs, as well as household bills and essential expenses while his parents take time away from work to grieve.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Puza announced it would suspend Culver CityBus service throughout the weekend and provide staff with crisis support as they grieve Rodriguez’s death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
Somewhere I have a family who have rooms filled with nothing but books and who still grieve for their baby who was stolen.
From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson
The sorrow is intimate as he recalls tender moments with his child and expansive as he grieves for the dead of the Civil War and ponders his responsibility for all of it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
"Seattle grieves with you, and we will stand with you in the difficult days ahead."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
What does it look like when a bird grieves?
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2025
Alma — who receives minimal attention from her author — marries a bighearted chicken farmer named Izzy, and later grieves the early loss of her husband, and the absence of children.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2025
“Tell him, please, I long to speak with him....Nay, tell him only that Ophelia grieves with him.”
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Some think Newton was the friend Dickinson still grieved in “Death sets a Thing significant” a decade later.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
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
“I am profoundly grieved at the loss of my partner and brother,” said attorney John Branca, co-executor of the Michael Jackson estate with McClain.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
“You must know that though I should be exceedingly grieved at their disapprobation, I could not hesitate.”
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
People do things when they are sad and grieving.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the "whole of Spain is grieving", adding that "lives have been shattered, families have been torn apart, the pain is immense".
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
In the days after the murder, Robert's five grieving sisters and his devastated fiancée, Bridgeen Hagans, had even less information about the murder than the police.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
Turturro wrecked us playing the grieving Irv on Apple TV’s trippy drama “Severance,” and when Irv disappeared in Season 2, fans worried we might have seen the last of him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
Cora had been grieving for him, too, without knowing it.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
