grief Definition
grief (grēf)
noun
- intense emotional suffering caused by loss, disaster, misfortune, etc.; acute sorrow; deep sadness
- a cause or the subject of such suffering
- Informal
- irritation or frustration, esp. from accidents, mishaps, etc. the griefs of a computer operator
- trouble; difficulty; problem enough grief for one day
- a cause of any of these
Etymology: ME gref < OFr, sorrow, grief < grever: see grieve
grief Idioms
come to grief
to fail or be ruined
grief Synonyms
grief
n.
Mental distress
sorrow, sadness, regret, melancholy, vexation, mourning, misery, trouble, anguish, bereavement, painful regret, distress over loss, depression, despondency, pain, worry, harassment, anxiety, woe, heartache, repining, lamentation, dole, dolor, malaise, disquiet, discomfort, smart, mortification, affliction, gloom, unhappiness, wretchedness, infelicity, desolation, despair, agony, torture, purgatory. Antonyms
happiness*, exhilaration*, pleasure. * The cause of distress
affliction, tribulation, vexation; see difficulty 2.
come to grief
grief Usage Examples
Converse of object
- assuage: This powerlessness translated itself into elaborate funeral rituals to assuage the grief of those left behind.
- suffer: In his first letter he said: for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
- express: Points to remember: People have different ways of expressing grief; there is no " normal way " .
- strike: His parents were grief stricken, his father covered in his son's blood.
- cause: These things can cause significant grief which can be difficult enough to come to terms with on their own.
- overcome: He found that helping others to overcome their problems gave him the therapy he needed to overcome the grief of his mother's death.
Preposition: at
- loss: I am in a country stricken with grief at the violent loss of thousands of its people.
- death: Then Francis comes forward alone showing grief at this fatherâs death, then dies himself.
Converse of subject
overcome: Plainly, some of those who had been close to the Princess were overcome by grief.
Preposition: over
death: Such public displays of grief over the deaths of strangers say much about how fragmented and atomised society has become.
Adjective modifier
- unresolved: Many also suffer from unresolved grief at the loss of the support they received from the professional who has abused them.
- untold: On arrival in Crewe there was word coming through of major rail disruptions with overhead lines down and the wind causing untold grief.
- bitter: So absorbed was he by his bitter grief that he never looked up until Holmes's hand was on his shoulder.
- intense: Intense grief was on every countenance when I replied that the President could survive but a short time.
- overwhelming: Anger, frustration and an overwhelming grief are common emotions flowing from experiences of great trial or pain as described above.
- terrible: Hope you can remember for the future that we often give ourselves terrible grief by resisting what is right for us!
Modifies a noun
reaction: Children will also be affected by the grief reaction of their surviving parent, which rarely may lead to neglect.
Possessives
- father: These events begin to unlock Nicky and her father's grief.
- mother: The caterpillar on the leaf Repeats to thee thy mother's grief.
Preposition: for
loss: Actually, this helps people including myself in dealing with our grief for the loss of Princess Diana.
Browse dictionary entries near grief
- ‹ gridlock
- ‹ gridiron
- ‹ gride
- ‹ griddlecake
- ‹ griddle
- ‹ gridder
- ‹ grid current
- ‹ grid bias
- ‹ grid
- ‹ gribble
- grief-stricken ›
- Grieg ›
- Grieg, Edvard Hagerup ›
- grievance ›
- grievance committee ›
- grievant ›
- grieve ›
- grievous ›
- griffe ›
- griffin ›

