Grievous

Pronunciation

• IPA: /É¡riː.vÉ™s/
• Rhymes: -iːvÉ™s
• nonstandard outside dialects IPA: /ɡɹiː.viː.É™s/ often used in conjunction with the spelling grievious

Alternative forms

• greuous obsolete
• grievious less common outside dialects

Origin

From grieve, from the Middle English greven, from the Old French grever, from Latin gravare (which means to burden). Developed in the 13th century.

Full definition of grievous

Adjective

1. Causing grief, pain or sorrow.
• 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, As for the captain, his wounds were grievous indeed but not dangerous.
2. Serious, grave, dire or dangerous.

Synonyms