grievously
Americanadverb
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
Etymology
Origin of grievously
Vocabulary lists containing 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.
Previous American wars equally have highlighted both the fraught nature of serving in higher-level leadership roles and in lower ranks where war’s injurious effects are most grievously felt.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
Indeed, what has been grievously missed in the melee is that this is not really a press story at all—it is a story about court transparency and hubris.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
How do grievously wounded combatants power through to achieve extraordinary feats of heroism?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 10, 2025
“Midnight was closing in, the one-legged woman was grievously burned, and the Mumbai police were coming for Abdul and his father,” Boo’s book begins.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2025
I reminded her that a doctor’s confidence was sacred, but that you were grievously anxious about her.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
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.
