1
: causing or characterized by severe pain, suffering, or sorrow
a grievous wound
a grievous loss
2
: oppressive, onerous
grievous costs of war
grievously
adverb
grievousness
noun
Examples of grievous in a Sentence
the grievous cost of war
He took a foolish financial risk and suffered a grievous loss.
Recent Examples on the Web
In these last 250 years, our country has made many grievous errors, starting with slavery, which would require a bloody Civil War to end.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025
Amidst the global rout of markets, Taiwanese energy companies’ losses were far more grievous than the worldwide average.
—Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Yet the idea that something that grievous could simply be healed or erased does not make sense in my world.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2025
New South Wales Police confirmed in a press release on Monday that the woman had been charged with three counts of wounding or grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
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New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2025
Amidst the global rout of markets, Taiwanese energy companies’ losses were far more grievous than the worldwide average.
—Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Yet the idea that something that grievous could simply be healed or erased does not make sense in my world.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2025
New South Wales Police confirmed in a press release on Monday that the woman had been charged with three counts of wounding or grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Cite this Entry
“Grievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grievous. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
grievous
adjective
griev·ous
ˈgrē-vəs 
1
: heavy entry 1 sense 2, severe
the grievous cost of war
2
: causing pain, suffering, or sorrow
a grievous wound
3
: serious sense 4, grave
a grievous mistake
grievously
adverb
grievousness
noun
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