What does "grief" mean?
Suffering, hardship.
Grief
/ɡɹiːf/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Suffering, hardship.
- Grammar: grief is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: heartache, sorrow, accident, ache.
- Useful contrasts: great joy, acceptance, calm.
- Usage evidence: Crying is an expression of grief.
How to use "grief"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "grief" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "grief" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "grief" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "grief" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "grief" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "heartache" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "grief", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Suffering, hardship. countable, uncountable
"The neighbour's teenagers give me grief every time they see me."
- 2 something that causes great unhappiness wordnet
- 3 Emotional pain, generally arising from misfortune, significant personal loss, bereavement, misconduct of oneself or others, etc.; sorrow; sadness. countable, uncountable
"She was worn out from so much grief."
- 4 intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death) wordnet
- 5 A cause or instance of sorrow or pain; that which afflicts or distresses; a trial. countable
"Surely, he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows."
Verb
- 1 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, and especially by exploiting game mechanics without using cheats to do so, often through acts of destruction or vandalism. Internet
"While ban and his pals stand squarely in this tradition, they also stand for something new: the rise of organized griefing, grounded in online message-board communities and thick with in-jokes, code words, taboos, and an increasingly articulate sense of purpose. No longer just an isolated pathology, griefing has developed a full-fledged culture."
Antonyms
Example
"Crying is an expression of grief."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "grief"?
Common synonyms include: heartache, sorrow, accident, ache, aching, aching heart.
How do you use "grief" in a sentence?
Crying is an expression of grief.
How do you pronounce "grief"?
Pronounced /ɡɹiːf/.
Etymology
From Middle English greef, gref, from Old French grief (“grave, heavy, grievous, sad”), from Latin gravis (“heavy, grievous, sad”). Doublet of grave.