What does grief mean?
Grief is the English noun for intense sorrow, especially mourning after a major loss such as a death or the end of a relationship. It suggests emotional pain more deeply than ordinary sadness, and it can also mean a source of regret or bitter disappointment. The word is used in both everyday and literary contexts, with acute, deep, and overwhelming commonly describing its intensity. In medical and psychological discussion, grief is distinguished from prolonged depression, although the two may overlap. As a verb, grief is archaic and literary, meaning to mourn or suffer sorrow; modern speakers usually choose grieve. The related forms grieve and grievous share its Latin root, while gravity and grave are close cognates. Because grief combines ordinary sadness with a strong sense of loss, it names both a profound emotional state and the event or experience that causes it. It is therefore useful when a writer wants to emphasize depth, bereavement, and mourning rather than a passing moment of unhappiness.
Intense sorrow or mourning, especially caused by a significant loss. It may also denote a source of regret or deep distress.
"The news filled the whole community with grief."
Grief often implies sorrow of greater depth than ordinary sadness and is especially associated with bereavement.
To suffer grief; to mourn or grieve.
"She grieved for the home that could never be rebuilt."
Archaic and literary; modern English normally uses grieve.
The standard plural form, though it is less common than the singular in ordinary usage.
"The stories give voice to the griefs that linger after a loved one dies."
Grief began as a word for heaviness: it comes from Latin gravis, "heavy," the same root that gave us gravity and grave.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does grief come from?
Grief entered Middle English from Old French grief, ultimately from Latin gravare, "to make heavy" or "weigh down," which was derived from gravis, "heavy." The modern sense of profound sorrow developed through the language's association of heaviness with emotional burden. Related English words such as grieve and grievous continue the same Latin inheritance, while grave and gravity preserve the root's more direct sense of weight and seriousness.
How grief is actually used
Grief is common in both formal and informal English. It is often more emotionally forceful than sadness, particularly when it refers to bereavement; in clinical discussion, it may be distinguished from prolonged depressive disorder, although the conditions can overlap. The verb is archaic or literary, and modern speakers usually use grieve instead.
Easily confused with grief
Grief usually suggests especially intense sorrow, often connected with bereavement or another major loss, whereas sorrow can refer to a broader range of sadness and regret.