Grievous
'ɡriːvəs
Definitions
2 meaningsCausing great sorrow, pain, or distress; serious or severe.
'ɡriːvəs
Causing severe sorrow or pain.
The failure of the project was a grievous setback.
💡 Simply: Imagine you spill your favorite ice cream on the ground. That's a *grievous* moment—it causes a lot of sadness and disappointment, like a major problem that's hard to deal with.
👶 For kids: Something that makes you very, very sad or hurts a lot.
More Examples
He was suffering from a grievous injury.
The grievous mistake led to the company's downfall.
The news of the accident cast a grievous shadow over the community.
How It's Used
"The death of their leader was a grievous loss for the people."
"The judge determined the actions constituted grievous bodily harm."
"The news was a grievous blow to her plans."
Offending against accepted moral standards; flagrant.
'ɡriːvəs
Offending against accepted moral standards.
The company's unethical practices were a grievous violation of customer trust.
💡 Simply: Imagine doing something really, really bad that goes against what's considered right or fair. It's like breaking a big rule and hurting people. It makes the situation grievous.
👶 For kids: Doing something that's super wrong or bad.
More Examples
The decision to fire the employees was a grievous act of injustice.
The government's neglect of its citizens was a grievous failure of responsibility.
His actions were seen as a grievous transgression against his friends.
How It's Used
"His actions were deemed a grievous breach of contract."
"The politician's lies were considered a grievous offense to the public trust."
From Middle English *grevous*, from Old French *grevos* (“heavy, burdensome, serious, grievous”), from *greve* (“trouble, annoyance”), from Latin *gravis* (“heavy, weighty, serious”).
Commonly used in older literature, but still used in legal and formal contexts to denote severe hardship or offense.
Memory tip
Think of a 'grave' situation that causes severe pain or sorrow.