Grief

Pronunciation

• IPA: /É¡riːf/
• Rhymes: -iːf

Origin

From Middle English greef, gref, from Old French grief ("grave, heavy, grievous, sad"), from Latin gravis ("heavy, grievous, sad.")

Full definition of grief

Noun

1. Suffering, hardship. from early 13th c.
2. Pain of mind arising from misfortune, significant personal loss, misconduct of oneself or others, etc.; sorrow; sadness. from early 14th c.She was worn out from so much grief.The betrayal caused Jeff grief.
3. (countable) Cause or instance of sorrow or pain; that which afflicts or distresses; trial.Surely, he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. -Isaiah 53:4

Derived terms

• give someone grief

Verb

1. (online gaming) To deliberately harass and annoy or cause grief to other players of a game in order to interfere with their enjoyment of it; especially, to do this as one’s primary activity in the game. from late 20th Century

Usage notes

This verb is most commonly found in the gerund-participle griefing and the derived noun griefer.

Related terms

• grievance
• grieve
• grievous