Grievous Definition & Meaning

grievous
adjective
  1. causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm; "a dangerous operation"; "a grave situation"; "a grave illness"; "grievous bodily harm"; "a serious wound"; "a serious turn of events"; "a severe case of pneumonia"; "a life-threatening disease"
  2. causing or marked by grief or anguish; "a grievous loss"; "a grievous cry"; "her sigh was heartbreaking"; "the heartrending words of Rabin's granddaughter"
  3. of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious thought; "grave responsibilities"; "faced a grave decision in a time of crisis"; "a grievous fault"; "heavy matters of state"; "the weighty matters to be discussed at the peace conference"
  4. shockingly brutal or cruel; "murder is an atrocious crime"; "a grievous offense against morality"; "a grievous crime"; "no excess was too monstrous for them to commit"

Synonyms for grievous

atrocious adj

shockingly brutal or cruel; "murder is an atrocious crime"; "a grievous offense against morality"; "a grievous crime

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critical adj

marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws

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dangerous adj

involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm; "a dangerous criminal"; "a dangerous bridge

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evil adj

morally bad or wrong; "evil purposes"; "an evil influence

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flagitious adj

extremely wicked, deeply criminal; "a flagitious crime"; "heinous accusations" shockingly brutal or cruel

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grave adj

dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises; "a grave God-fearing man

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heartbreaking adj

causing or marked by grief or anguish; "a grievous loss"; "a grievous cry"; "her sigh was heartbreaking

♫ Rhymes
heartrending adj

causing or marked by grief or anguish; "a grievous loss"; "a grievous cry"; "her sigh was heartbreaking

♫ Rhymes
heavy adv

slowly as if burdened by much weight; "time hung heavy on their hands" of comparatively great physical weight or

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heinous adj

extremely wicked, deeply criminal; "a flagitious crime"; "heinous accusations"

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms

"Grievous" in song lyrics

See how grievous is used in real songs:

  • "genera; grievous"
    AOL — AOL
  • "general grievous"
    AOL — AOL
  • "starwars pictures of general grievous"
    AOL — AOL

Words that rhyme with grievous

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Usage tips for "grievous"

Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "grievous" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for grievous to find words that pair well.

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♫ Rhymes with grievous ↔ Synonyms for grievous 🔬 Words containing grievous

Frequently asked questions

What does grievous mean?
causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm; "a dangerous operation"; "a grave situation"; "a grave illness"; "grievous bodily harm"; "a serious wound"; "a serious turn of events"; "a severe case of pneumonia"; "a life-threatening disease" causing or marked by grief or anguish; "a grievous loss"; "a grievous cry"; "her sigh was heartbreaking"; "the heartrending words of Rabin's granddaughter" of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious thought; "grave responsibilities
What part of speech is grievous?
Grievous is an adjective.
How many definitions does grievous have?
Grievous has 4 definitions across 1 part of speech (adjective).

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