View synonyms for grievous

grievous

[gree-vuhs]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

causing grief or great sorrow.
grievous news.
Synonyms: painful, sorrowful, sad, tragic, heartbreaking
Antonyms: delightful
full of or expressing grief; sorrowful.
a grievous cry.
characterized by great pain or suffering; severe.
grievous bodily harm;
a grievous injury.
having serious effects; grave.
a grievous mistake;
grievous faults.
extremely or shockingly wicked, cruel, brutal, etc.; atrocious.
a grievous offense against morality;
grievous crimes.
Synonyms: critical, acute, onerous, harsh, brutal, heinous, appalling
burdensome; oppressive.
to incur grievous expenses.

grievous

/ ˈɡriːvəs /

adjective

very severe or painful
a grievous injury
very serious; heinous
a grievous sin
showing or marked by grief
a grievous cry
causing great pain or suffering
a grievous attack

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Other Word Forms

grievously adverb
grievousness noun
nongrievous adjective
nongrievousness noun
overgrievous adjective
overgrievousness noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of grievous¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English grevous, from Old French grevo(u)s; grieve, -ous

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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.

They deny all charges and Mr Corner denies an additional allegation of causing grievous bodily harm.

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He faces charges of causing grievous bodily harm to 309 people and causing dangerous interference to road traffic.

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Jhangur, of Whiteways Road, Sheffield, was found guilty in July of murder, three counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and one of wounding with intent relating to those also hurt.

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Scenes like this are tricky enough to pull off tastefully in dramatized films, but here, the sequence feels impossibly grievous.

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Related Words

grieve grievous bodily harm

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