grieve

To grieve is to feel or express intense grief—mental or emotional suffering or distress caused by loss or regret.

Grieve often means the same thing as mourn. It’s especially used in the context of someone who is mourning the death of a loved one.

However, the word can also be used in the context of other situations involving loss or regret, such as the end of a relationship or the loss of a job.

Less commonly, grieve can mean to cause someone to feel grief, as in It grieves me to see you so sad.

Grieve should not be confused with bereave, which means to take away and leave devastated. Those who are grieving are those who have been bereaved.

Example: After losing someone close, it’s important to take the time to grieve.

The first records of the word grieve come from around 1200. It comes from the Latin verb gravāre, meaning “to burden,” from gravis, “heavy.” The same root forms the basis of the words gravity and the adjective grave meaning “serious.”

People who are grieving—and those who try to help them deal with their grief—often become familiar with the popular theory that there are five stages of grief, which was developed by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. According to Kübler-Ross, the five stages of grief are:

1. Denial (This stage involves difficulty believing that what has happened is real.)
2. Anger (This involves frustration that it has happened to you.)
3. Bargaining (This can involve thinking about “what if” and trying to find some way out of what has happened.)
4. Depression. (This involves the sorrow that comes with the realization that what has happened is real and nothing can be done to change it.)
5. Acceptance. (This stage involves accepting what has happened and attempting to move on.)

What are some other forms related to grieve?

• grieving (continuous tense verb, noun)
• grievingly (adverb)
• griever (noun)

What are some synonyms for grieve?

• mourn
• sadden
• pain

What are some words that share a root or word element with grieve? 

• grief
• grave
• gravity

What are some words that often get used in discussing grieve?

• mourning
• bereavement
• death
• loss
• regret
• denial
• anger
• bargaining
• depression
• acceptance

Grieve is most commonly used in the context of someone who is mourning the death of a loved one. But it can also be used in other situations involving loss.

"When you're in that bubble, all you want to do is talk about it." Watch mum Lynette talk about how having a safe haven such as #WoodlandHouse will help break the taboo of pregnancy and baby loss, and provide specialist support to parents who are grieving. https://t.co/WF9SYWrhKp pic.twitter.com/MBVDWtMtop

— Bham Women's Hosp (@BWH_NHS) July 12, 2019

A friend of mine said grieving feels like being under water. It’s true.

I’m moving so slowly. Everything feels muddled and vague. My body doesn’t feel solid and I’m struggling to grab on to things but I can’t seem to hold anyone or anything too tightly.

Be patient with me.

— Amanda Quraishi (@ImTheQ) October 10, 2020

Why it's important to grieve career transitions:

"Dealing with bouts of grief instead of ignoring them can help you better navigate the complex emotions of leaving a job you love and starting fresh somewhere new."https://t.co/WNadfpnVJC pic.twitter.com/qP3UeBbQWN

— Jennifer Polk, PhD (@FromPhDtoLife) January 11, 2019

Is grieve used correctly in the following sentence?

To all the families who are grieving the loss of a loved one, I offer you my sincere condolences.