grieve
GREEV
/ɡriːv/
To feel intense sorrow, especially due to a loss.
Grieving is a process, not just a single moment of sadness.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'gravis' (heavy). When you grieve, you are literally feeling the 'heaviness' of your heart. This is the same root that gives us 'gravity'.
Word relationships
- mourn: Mourn often refers to the outward expression of grief (like wearing black); grieve is the internal feeling.
- lament: Lament is a vocal or written expression of sorrow.
- rejoice: Rejoice is to feel great joy; grieve is to feel great sorrow.
- celebrate: Celebrate is to mark a happy event; grieve is to mark a sad one.
Commonly confused with
- grievance: A grievance is a formal complaint; grief is deep sorrow.
Word family
- grief (noun): Deep sorrow, especially that caused by someone's death.
- grievous (adjective): Very severe or serious.
Collocations
- grieve a loss
- grieve deeply
- time to grieve
Example sentences
- "It is important to allow yourself time to grieve the end of a long relationship." The aftermath of a long-term relationship.
- "To grieve is to have loved." A philosophical observation.
Memory hook
Grief is a 'heavy' (gravity) burden on the heart. Grieve = Gravity of the heart.
When not to use
Don't use it for minor inconveniences; it is reserved for deep, significant loss.
Fun facts
- The word 'grave' (where someone is buried) also comes from the same root meaning 'heavy' or 'serious'.
Related words
Explore more words
condolence, solace, remembrance, devastation, remorseful, pine
Also appears in
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