grief

noun

ˈgrēf How to pronounce grief (audio)
Definition of griefnext
1
as in sorrow
deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved even the gruff grandfather felt a heartbreaking grief when the family dog died

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in frustration
the feeling of impatience or anger caused by another's repeated disagreeable acts there seemed to be no end to the grief that the school bullies were giving to the young boy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word grief different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of grief are anguish, regret, sorrow, and woe. While all these words mean "distress of mind," grief implies poignant sorrow for an immediate cause.

the inexpressible grief of the bereaved parents

When is it sensible to use anguish instead of grief?

The meanings of anguish and grief largely overlap; however, anguish suggests torturing grief or dread.

the anguish felt by the parents of the kidnapped child

When would regret be a good substitute for grief?

The words regret and grief are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, regret implies pain caused by deep disappointment, fruitless longing, or unavailing remorse.

nagging regret for missed opportunities

When is sorrow a more appropriate choice than grief?

While the synonyms sorrow and grief are close in meaning, sorrow implies a sense of loss or a sense of guilt and remorse.

a family united in sorrow upon the patriarch's death

When might woe be a better fit than grief?

The synonyms woe and grief are sometimes interchangeable, but woe is deep or inconsolable grief or misery.

cries of woe echoed throughout the bombed city

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grief The session, the congregation said, will explore how to hold grief in one hand and joy in the other. —Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 4 June 2025 Davidson’s interior journey through grief is as extraordinary as the outer trek — both guide her towards thriving in an uncomfortable landscape. —Bridget Crocker, People.com, 3 June 2025 While navigating the grief of losing her mother and being the new girl in town, Kat meets Casper, the ghost of a young boy who died from pneumonia. —Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 26 May 2025 Healing from this kind of grief requires being honest with yourself about your emotions. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for grief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grief
  1. sorrow
  2. frustration
  3. anguish
  4. exasperation
  5. irritation
  6. anger
Noun
  • Long time residents throughout the Bay Area and beyond will recall the shock and sorrow of Nov. 27, 1978, when White walked into City Hall and shot Milk and Moscone.
    — Georgia Rowe, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
  • In fact, research has found that some animal species may indeed use wit to strengthen their bonds in the same way that many have the capacity for love, fear, sorrow, guilt, anger, shame, disgust and empathy – and that primates smile and some rats can giggle.
    — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Definition of sorrow
Noun
  • Postgame, their manager’s frustration was palpable.
    — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 4 June 2025
  • Moments before allegedly opening fire, Zhao vented his frustrations at a supervisor and a co-worker whom Zhao blamed for a collision between his forklift and a bulldozer, prosecutors claim.
    — Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 4 June 2025
Definition of frustration
Noun
  • The victim’s scream of anguish is captured in the video.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 26 May 2025
  • Rite of Spring is the Pièce de resistance of the exhibition and features a mass of writhing bodies morphing into each other, women giving birth, androgynous figures and figures with expressions of anguish.
    — Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • Brown began to gesticulate, his arms rising and falling in exasperation.
    — Malcolm Gladwell, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
  • But even within the club there is a recognition that the change in approach came via default — due to exasperation with the circus that accompanied the superstar influx — rather than design.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Definition of exasperation
Noun
  • High ozone levels are especially dangerous for children, older adults, and those with existing respiratory or heart conditions, potentially causing throat irritation, coughing, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
    — Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025
  • To determine whether demodex mites are the cause of skin irritations, dermatologists can tape or lightly scrape the top layer of skin and place the sample under a microscope, Ricardo-Gonzalez said.
    — Kameryn Griesser, CNN Money, 30 May 2025
Definition of irritation
Noun
  • Law enforcement officials believe the man, Ramon Morales Reyes, never wrote a letter that Noem and her department shared with a message written in light blue ink expressing anger over Trump’s deportations and threatening to shoot him in the head with a rifle at a rally.
    — Mike Balsamo, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
  • Law enforcement officials believe the man, Ramon Morales Reyes, never wrote a letter that Noem and her department shared with a message written in light blue ink expressing anger over Trump's deportations and threatening to shoot him in the head with a rifle at a rally.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 June 2025
Definition of anger

Phrases Containing grief

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gridlocks
grief
griefs
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Cite this Entry

“Grief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grief. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.

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