grievously
Americanadverb
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in a way that causes or shows grief, sorrow, pain, or suffering.
There is no denying that the inmates were grievously malnourished.
The first marine he reached was grievously wounded, and his medical assistance was undoubtedly instrumental in saving the man's life.
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in a way that is flagrant or outrageous.
The accomplished actress is grievously wasted as a femme fatale who doesn't utter a single word.
The court concluded that the manager had put himself in a position in which his own private interests conflicted grievously with those of his employer.
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in a way that is burdensome or oppressive.
The energy necessary to manufacture sufficient solar collectors would itself add grievously to the global burden of pollution and greenhouse gas.
Other Word Forms
- nongrievously adverb
- overgrievously adverb
Etymology
Origin of grievously
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.
One went to a helicopter pilot grievously wounded during the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
The use of this ancient wartime power, which was only used three times before, and grievously abused in the case of the Japanese and Italian American internment, is an attack on common sense.
From Salon • May 2, 2025
It appeared to be the first time that Mr. Goldberg-Polin, who was grievously injured in the attack, has been shown to be alive since his captivity began.
From New York Times • Apr. 24, 2024
The late senator was grievously wounded in World War II and spent years undergoing painful physical therapy.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2024
Above 26,000 feet, moreover, the line between appropriate zeal and reckless summit fever becomes grievously thin.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
