Grief
noun /ɡriːf/ — Deep sorrow — especially after a loss. The emotion that makes no apologies for its size.
Definition
Intense sorrow, especially caused by someone's death or a significant loss; the process of adapting to profound change or loss.
Beyond the definition
Grief is the word that holds everything the others can only circle — mourning, bereavement, sorrow, heartbreak are all its tributaries. Grief is the main river. It has its own time, its own logic, and it doesn't observe the limits others set for it.
Origin & history
From Old French grief — suffering, misfortune (from grever: to burden, from Latin gravare: to make heavy). The heaviness — grief as the emotion that has weight. You carry it.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Her grief had a texture — not the sharp immediate kind, but the slow weight of a year's accumulation.
He was uncomfortable with her grief, which meant he was uncomfortable with the size of what she'd lost.
Grief is not the opposite of love; it is love with nowhere to go.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Grief” when the meaning fits your context: Intense sorrow, especially caused by someone's death or a significant loss; the process of adapting to profound change or loss.
Synonyms
Antonyms
joy, happiness, elation
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Profound Sense of Absence
An adult sits in a dark, quiet room looking at a single, empty chair with a posture of deep sadness.
The empty chair in the somber room clearly signifies grief, visualizing the weight of loss and the absence of a loved one. The adult’s reflective, sorrowful posture captures the intense, personal process of adapting to a significant change.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Grief" mean?
Grief is noun meaning: Deep sorrow — especially after a loss. The emotion that makes no apologies for its size.. Intense sorrow, especially caused by someone's death or a significant loss; the process of adapting to profound change or loss.
Where does the word "Grief" come from?
From Old French grief — suffering, misfortune (from grever: to burden, from Latin gravare: to make heavy). The heaviness — grief as the emotion that has weight. You carry it.