grievous

[gree-vuhs] / ˈgri vəs /

ADJECTIVE

severe, painful; serious

Synonyms

STRONGEST

appalling atrocious calamitous damaging deplorable dire dreadful egregious flagrant glaring heinous intolerable lamentable monstrous outrageous shameful shocking tragic unbearable

WEAK

afflicting agonizing dismal disquieting distressing disturbing grave harmful heart-rending heavy hurtful injurious mournful offensive onerous oppressive pathetic pitiful sad sharp sorrowful taxing tough troublesome upsetting villainous weighty wounding

Antonyms

STRONGEST

acceptable bearable blessed comforting concealed delightful favorable fortunate good happy hidden little lucky magnificent mild pleasing tolerable wonderful

WEAK

harmless pleasant

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

George Stana, 25 and Nandito Badea, 21 have both denied charges of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and unlawful wounding.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

And it delivers a blunt message, warning that this executive order would inflict a grievous, possibly lethal moral harm on the nation.

From Slate • Feb. 27, 2026

If love is a complicated, beautiful and grievous thing, so is Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights.”

From Salon • Feb. 14, 2026

Whatever its actual length, there is no doubting the war’s traumatic impact upon France, where swaths of countryside were depopulated for decades, or the grievous toll upon combatants and civilians alike.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

"He will not be with us long, the maesters say. The pain is . . . constant, and grievous."

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Vocabulary lists containing grievous

The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6

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A Wrinkle in Time

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Antigone

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