Grievous — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈgrē-vəs/ griev·ous

Meaning & Definition of Grievous

Grievous (adjective)

  1. causing or characterized by severe pain, suffering, or sorrow
  2. oppressive, onerous
  3. serious, grave

Grievous (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. difficult to endure

    "the months of chemotherapy seemed almost as grievous an affliction as the cancer itself"

    similar: bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating, grim, hard, hardhanded, harsh, heavy, inhuman, murderous, onerous, oppressive, rough, rugged, searing, severe, stiff, tough, trying
    related: austere, bleak, comfortless, discomforting, forbidding, inhospitable, spartan, uncomfortable, biting, inclement, intemperate, wild, rigorous, strict, stringent, agonizing, heartbreaking, heartrending, painful, wretched, crushing, grinding, overwhelming, wearing, insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unbearable, unendurable, harrowing, tortuous, bad, disagreeable, hostile, unfriendly, unpleasant
    opposite: easy, light, soft
    near: comfortable, cozy, luxurious, snug, agreeable, friendly, genial, hospitable, pleasant, peaceful, relaxing, reposeful, restful, bearable, endurable, painless, tolerable, balmy, calm, clement, gentle, mild, moderate, temperate

  2. hard to accept or bear especially emotionally

    "the death of a spouse can be a grievous loss from which one never recovers"

    similar: afflicting, agonizing, bitter, cruel, excruciating, galling, harrowing, harsh, heartrending, hurtful, painful, tormenting, torturous
    related: insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unacceptable, unbearable, unendurable, unsupportable, appalling, awful, bad, dire, dreadful, ghastly, horrible, miserable, nasty, rotten, severe, terrible, vile, wretched, acute, extreme, intense, piercing
    opposite: gratifying, pleasing, sweet
    near: bearable, endurable, supportable, sustainable, tolerable, livable, sufferable, survivable, acceptable, allowable, reasonable

  3. involving potential loss or injury

    "a grievous wound that requires a doctor's immediate attention"

    similar: dangerous, grave, hazardous, jeopardizing, menacing, parlous, perilous, risky, serious, threatening, unhealthy, unsafe, venturesome
    related: dicey, insecure, precarious, treacherous, uncertain, ultrahazardous, chance, haphazard, random, distressing, sickening, unpleasant, ugly, wicked, adverse, bad, baleful, baneful, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, inimical, injurious, malignant, nasty, noxious, pernicious, pestilent, deadly, deathly, destructive, dire, fatal, fateful, fell, killer, lethal, mortal, murderous
    opposite: harmless, innocent, innocuous, nonhazardous, nonthreatening, safe, unthreatening
    near: advantageous, beneficial, good, ultrasafe

  4. of a kind to cause great distress

    "the grievous cost of the war in human lives weighed heavily on the president's mind"

    similar: deplorable, distressful, distressing, heartbreaking, heartrending, lamentable, regrettable, tragic, unfortunate, unlucky, woeful
    related: troublesome, vexatious, affecting, doleful, moving, piteous, poignant, ruthful, touching, awful, dire, dreadful, fearful, severe, terrible, alarming, disturbing, perturbing, traumatic, unsettling, crushing, excruciating, harrowing, horrible, horrifying, intolerable, overwhelming, shocking, sickening, unbearable, miserable, pitiful, sad, wretched, calamitous, disastrous, painful, raging, sharp
    near: gratifying, pleasing, rewarding, satisfying, comforting, encouraging, heartening, cheering, heartwarming, inspiring, fortunate, happy, lucky

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Grievous

The most common words with a similar meaning to Grievous:

bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating, grim, hard, hardhanded, harsh, heavy, inhuman, murderous, onerous, oppressive, rough, rugged, searing, severe, stiff, tough, trying, afflicting, agonizing, galling, harrowing, heartrending, hurtful, painful, tormenting, torturous, dangerous, grave, hazardous, jeopardizing, menacing, parlous, perilous, risky, serious, threatening

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Grievous

Words with the opposite meaning of Grievous:

easy, light, soft, gratifying, pleasing, sweet, harmless, innocent, innocuous, nonhazardous, nonthreatening, safe, unthreatening

Related Words for Grievous

austere, bleak, comfortless, discomforting, forbidding, inhospitable, spartan, uncomfortable, biting, inclement, intemperate, wild, rigorous, strict, stringent, wretched, crushing, grinding, overwhelming, wearing, insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unbearable, unendurable, tortuous, bad, disagreeable, hostile, unfriendly

Near Antonyms of Grievous

comfortable, cozy, luxurious, snug, agreeable, friendly, genial, hospitable, pleasant, peaceful, relaxing, reposeful, restful, bearable, endurable, painless, tolerable, balmy, calm, clement, gentle, mild, moderate, temperate, supportable, sustainable, livable, sufferable, survivable, acceptable

Word Forms of Grievous

Derived words: grievously (adverb), grievousness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Grievous

Middle English grevous, greveus "oppressive, burdensome, injurious, severe (of sickness, wounds)," borrowed from Anglo-French grevous, grevus (continental Old French grevos), from gref "burden, hardship, grief" + -ous -ous

First known use: 13th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Grievous

What does "Grievous" mean?

"Grievous" means causing or characterized by severe pain, suffering, or sorrow. As an adjective, it is defined as: causing or characterized by severe pain, suffering, or sorrow. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Grievous"?

Other words for "Grievous" include bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating, grim, hard and hardhanded. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Grievous" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Grievous"?

There are 159 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Grievous". Common alternatives include bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating, grim, hard, hardhanded, harsh and heavy.

What is the opposite of "Grievous"?

Antonyms of "Grievous" include easy, light, soft, gratifying, pleasing, sweet, harmless and innocent. Near antonyms include comfortable, cozy, luxurious and snug.

How do you use "Grievous" in a sentence?

Examples of "Grievous" in a sentence: "the months of chemotherapy seemed almost as grievous an affliction as the cancer itself"; "the death of a spouse can be a grievous loss from which one never recovers"; "a grievous wound that requires a doctor's immediate attention".

Is "Grievous" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Grievous" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Grievous"?

"Grievous" is pronounced /ˈgrē-vəs/ and divided into syllables as griev·ous.

What is the origin of the word "Grievous"?

"Grievous" comes from Middle English grevous, greveus "oppressive, burdensome, injurious, severe (of sickness, wounds)," borrowed from Anglo-French grevous, grevus (continental Old French grevos), from gref "burden, hardship, grief" + -ous -ous. First known use: 13th century.