grief

grief — noun

1. A very strong feeling of sadness that you experience when someone you love dies

1.nounB1
Definition

A very strong feeling of sadness that you experience when someone you love dies or when you lose something of great importance to your life.

Example

When Aylin's grandfather died, the whole family was overcome with grief at his funeral.

collocation: overcome with grief

Mira visited a support group to work through her deep grief after the divorce.

collocation: deep grief

Common collocations
  • deep grief
  • profound grief
  • overcome with grief
  • grief-stricken
  • grief at the loss
  • grief over the death
  • grief for the departed
  • private grief
  • unbearable grief
Synonyms
  • sorrow

    A more general term for sadness; grief is deeper and more specifically tied to loss or death.

  • mourning

    Refers to the outward expression or period of grief, especially after a death.

  • anguish

    Stronger than grief, with an added sense of physical or mental agony.

  • heartache

    More personal and often tied to romantic or family loss; less formal than grief.

Antonyms
  • joy

    A feeling of great happiness, the opposite of the sadness grief describes.

  • relief

    The easing of emotional pain, contrasting with the heaviness of grief.

Grammar Patterns

grief + at/over/for [loss]

overcome with grief

Usage Note

Often used with the prepositions 'at', 'over', or 'for' to indicate the cause of the sadness. Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'deep', 'profound', 'unbearable', or 'private'. The noun is uncountable in this sense — do not say 'a grief' when referring to the emotion itself.

Common Mistakes

I felt a grief when my phone broke.
I felt grief when my grandmother passed away.
Grief is for deep, serious losses, not minor everyday frustrations.
I had griefs about my exam results.
I felt grief over my exam results.
The emotion is uncountable; do not add -s.

2. Annoying remarks, teasing complaints, or expressions of displeasure directed at

2.nounB2
Definition

Annoying remarks, teasing complaints, or expressions of displeasure directed at someone — most commonly used in the fixed phrase "give someone grief."

Example

Mateo's teammates gave him grief for missing the winning shot in the final seconds.

fixed phrase: give someone grief

The revised bus timetable caused a lot of grief among commuters waiting in the cold.

Common collocations
  • give someone grief
  • get grief from
  • cause grief
  • endure grief
  • grief about something
  • grief for something
Synonyms
  • criticism

    More formal and less emotional; grief has a teasing or nagging quality.

  • flak

    Originally military slang; similar to grief but more about public or professional censure.

  • hassle

    Focuses more on inconvenience than on verbal criticism.

Antonyms
  • praise

    Expressions of approval, the opposite of critical remarks.

Grammar Patterns

give + person + grief

get grief from [someone]

Usage Note

Most frequent in the informal fixed phrase 'give someone grief', which means to criticize, tease, or complain persistently. The structure is 'give + [person] + grief + (optional: for/about [reason])'. Less common in formal writing or speech.

Common Mistakes

My teacher gave me a lot of grief about my homework.' (when meaning 'a lot of homework to do')
My teacher gave me grief about my messy handwriting.
'Give someone grief' means to criticize, not to assign work.
She gave grief to him.
She gave him grief.
The person receiving the criticism comes before 'grief', not after 'to'.

3. Problems, difficulty, or annoyance caused by a situation or process — especially

3.nounB2
Definition

Problems, difficulty, or annoyance caused by a situation or process — especially when the trouble feels like more effort than the result deserves.

Example

Setting up the new accounting software was nothing but grief from start to finish.

pattern: nothing but grief

The old plumbing in Ravindra's apartment has been a constant source of grief.

Common collocations
  • nothing but grief
  • more grief than it's worth
  • source of grief
  • have grief with
  • cause grief
Synonyms
  • trouble

    Broader in meaning; grief in this sense specifically implies frustration with a process or situation.

  • hassle

    Nearly synonymous but slightly milder; grief suggests more sustained annoyance.

  • bother

    Milder and more British in tone; grief is more emphatic.

Grammar Patterns

nothing but grief

more grief than it's worth

source of grief

Usage Note

Common in everyday spoken language describing minor to moderate frustrations. Unlike the DEEP SADNESS sense, this sense does not carry emotional weight — it refers to practical hassles. Often appears in the comparative phrase 'more grief than it's worth.'

Common Mistakes

The death of my pet caused me a lot of grief.' (for emotional loss)
My computer crash caused me a lot of grief.
Use this sense for practical problems, not deep emotional loss. For deep sadness, see sense 1.

4. A nagging or recurring physical discomfort in a specific part of the body — ofte

4.nounC1
Definition

A nagging or recurring physical discomfort in a specific part of the body — often a joint or muscle that causes trouble over time.

Example

The old rugby injury still gives Sayaka grief in her lower back every winter.

pattern: gives + person + grief in [body part] (physical)

Dylan's knee has been causing him grief ever since he ran the marathon last spring.

Common collocations
  • give someone grief in [body part]
  • cause grief
  • get grief in
  • grief in the back/shoulder/knee
Synonyms
  • pain

    More general; grief is more specific to nagging, recurring discomfort rather than sharp pain.

  • discomfort

    Milder and more formal; grief carries a sense of nuisance and persistence.

  • ache

    Continuous but usually less intense; grief can be sharper or more intermittent.

Grammar Patterns

give + person + grief in [body part]

cause + person + grief

Usage Note

Primarily British English. Describes recurring or persistent discomfort rather than sharp, acute pain. The pattern 'give [someone] grief in [body part]' is the most common syntactic frame. In American English, 'give [someone] trouble' or 'act up' is more common for the same meaning.

Common Mistakes

I felt grief in my stomach after eating bad food.
I felt grief in my shoulder after lifting heavy boxes.
This sense is typically used for joints, muscles, and bones, not for internal or digestive discomfort.

5. An event, situation, or circumstance that makes someone feel deep unhappiness or

5.nounB2
Definition

An event, situation, or circumstance that makes someone feel deep unhappiness or sorrow — for example, a major disappointment or a tragic event in someone's life.

Example

Losing the family farm was a grief that Michael's grandfather never fully recovered from.

countable: a grief

The early death of the village doctor was a grief to all who knew her.

Common collocations
  • a grief to
  • become a grief
  • cause a grief
  • a private grief
  • a lasting grief
Synonyms
  • sorrow

    Can also be used countably as 'a sorrow'; slightly broader and less intense than 'a grief'.

  • affliction

    More formal and often has religious or literary overtones; a grief is more personal.

  • heartbreak

    Stronger and more specific to romantic or family-related loss; grief here is broader.

Antonyms
  • blessing

    Something that brings happiness or good fortune, the opposite of a cause of sadness.

Grammar Patterns

a grief to [someone]

become a grief

Usage Note

This is the only sense of 'grief' that can be used as a countable noun — you can say 'a grief' or 'griefs'. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is the feeling itself (uncountable), while this sense is the thing that causes the feeling (countable, often in more formal or literary language).

Common Mistakes

Losing my keys was a grief.
Losing my keys was a nuisance.
Reserve 'a grief' for truly significant losses or disappointments, not minor inconveniences.
His death was grief to the community.
His death was a grief to the community.
In this sense, the article 'a' is required before 'grief'.
Idioms

come to grief

idiom

To fail or be ruined, especially after a period of attempting to succeed, or to be damaged or destroyed in an accident.

Henry's ambitious plan to cycle across the desert came to grief when his bike broke down in the first week.

The company's expansion into the Asian market came to grief after a series of poor financial decisions.

good grief!

idiom

An exclamation used to express surprise, shock, mild annoyance, or disbelief about something that has happened or been said.

Good grief! You scared me half to death jumping out from behind the door like that.

Good grief, is it really midnight already? I had no idea the time had flown so fast.

give somebody grief (about/over something)

idiom

To express annoyance or criticize someone for something they did.

My boss gave me grief over missing the deadline.

Did your parents give you grief about your grades?

Word family

  • grieve
    verbB2
  • grievous
    adjectiveC1
  • grievance
    nounB2
  • grief-stricken
    adjectiveC1
  • bereavement
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four words describe forms of sadness, 'grief' is the most specific to loss — especially through death. 'Sorrow' is broader and more general; you can feel sorrow about world events, but grief is personal. 'Mourning' refers to the outward expression or cultural period of grief (wearing black, holding a funeral), not the inner feeling itself. 'Anguish' is physically and emotionally more intense — it suggests unbearable suffering that affects the body, not just the heart. 'Heartache' is more personal and often tied to romantic or family disappointment; it is less formal and less intense than grief. In practice: 'She felt grief at her father's funeral, sorrow when she thought of missed conversations, and anguish during the first sleepless weeks.'

sorrow ↗mourninganguishheartache

Common collocations

Nouns

  • grief counsellor
  • grief therapy
  • grief support group
  • grief process
  • grief recovery

Phrases

  • grief and loss
  • grief and sorrow
  • stages of grief

Prepositions

  • grief at
  • grief over
  • grief for

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Grief entered English through Old French 'gref', meaning 'burden, sorrow, hardship', which came from the Latin 'gravis', meaning 'heavy'. The idea of carrying a heavy weight in one's heart has stayed with the word from the 13th century to the present day. The spelling shifted from 'greve' or 'greef' in Middle English to the modern 'grief' by the 16th century.