What does grievously mean?
Grievously is an adverb meaning seriously, severely, or to an extreme degree, usually in circumstances involving serious harm, damage, failure, or mistake. Its force comes from its association with grief and severity: something done grievously is not merely imperfect or inconvenient but profoundly wrong or damaging. The word commonly appears in expressions such as “grievously wrong,” “grievously injured,” and “grievously affected,” especially in legal, journalistic, and formal writing. It is more emphatic than “badly” and often suggests consequences that are grave, far-reaching, or difficult to remedy. Although the word is used in both British and American English, it has a distinctly formal register and is less common in casual conversation than ordinary alternatives such as “really” or “very.” It can also convey that a failure was exceptionally serious rather than simply describing the severity of a physical injury.
adverbIn a way that is serious or extreme, especially causing great harm, damage, or error.
- In a way that causes serious or severe harm or damage.
- Very badly or to a serious extent.
"The warning system had failed grievously, allowing the fire to spread unchecked."
"The investigation concluded that the authorities had grievously mishandled the emergency."
"She was grievously wrong about the cause of the problem, and the consequences were costly."
Grievously is where gravity becomes severity: it describes mistakes, damage, and suffering that are far more serious than ordinary ones.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does grievously come from?
Grievously was formed by adding the adverbial suffix -ly to the adjective grievous. Grievous comes through Old French from Latin gravis, meaning “heavy” or “serious,” the same broad root associated with English words such as grief and gravitate. The adverb developed with the meaning “in a serious or severe manner,” later extending to emphatic descriptions of great harm or error.
How grievously is actually used
Grievously is formal and often literary. It is stronger than simply 'badly' and is especially common in reporting serious error, harm, failure, or wrongdoing.
Easily confused with grievously
Gravely often means solemnly or with a serious demeanor, whereas grievously means extremely badly or seriously, especially in describing harm.