Word of the Day: GRIEF

Pronunciation: UK /ɡriːf/
US /ɡriːf/

Meaning

Grief is deep sorrow, especially the emotional pain felt after losing someone or something important. It can also describe intense sadness caused by other forms of loss, disappointment or suffering.

Examples for daily usage

  • She was still dealing with grief after the loss of her friend.
  • Everyone experiences grief differently.
  • The novel explores love, loss and grief.

Origin and history

The word grief dates back to the early 13th century. It came into English from Old French grief, meaning “wrong”, “misfortune” or “calamity”, and is related to grever, meaning “to afflict” or “to burden”.

The French word can ultimately be traced to the Latin gravare, meaning “to make heavy”, from gravis, meaning “heavy”. The connection reflects the idea of sorrow as something that weighs heavily on a person.

The sense of grief referring specifically to mental pain or sorrow appeared around the beginning of the 14th century.

Also Read: Word of the Day, September 17: ‘Dumpling’ 

Cultural significance and modern usage

Grief is often associated with bereavement, but the word is not limited to the death of a loved one. People may also experience grief after the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, a major change in their lives or the loss of something deeply meaningful to them.

The word is also used in everyday expressions. One familiar example is “good grief”, which has been used as an exclamation expressing surprise, annoyance or dismay since the early 20th century.

Grief has also been a recurring subject in literature because writers have long used it to explore love, memory, loss and the ways people respond to change.

Interesting facts

Grief originally had a wider meaning connected to hardship, suffering and misfortune.

The related verb grieve has been used in English since around the 12th century.

“Good grief” is not necessarily an expression of sadness. It can be used to show surprise, frustration or disbelief.

The word griever originally referred to someone who caused grief, while its modern meaning can refer to someone experiencing grief.

Examples from literature

  • “So Wilson was reduced to a man ‘deranged by grief’...” — The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • “she was no longer wrestling with her grief, but could sit down with it as a lasting companion...” — Middlemarch, George Eliot

Synonyms

  • Sorrow
  • Sadness
  • Heartache
  • Distress
  • Anguish

Antonyms

  • Joy
  • Happiness
  • Delight
  • Contentment
  • Cheerfulness

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