grief

Definitions

1. 1.Cause of sorrow or pain; that which afficts or distresses; trial; grievance. Be factious for redress of all these griefs. Shak.
2. 2.Physical pain, or a cause of it; malady. [R.] This grief (cancerous ulcers) hastened the end of that famous mathematician, Mr. Harriot. Wood. To come to grief, to meet with calamity, accident, defeat, ruin, etc., causing grief; to turn out badly. [Colloq.] Grief, Sorrow, Sadness. Sorrow is the generic term; grief is sorrow for some definite cause -- one which commenced, at least, in the past; sadness is applied to a permanent mood of the mind. Sorrow is transient in many cases; but the grief of a mother for the loss of a favorite child too often turns into habitual sadness. "Grief is sometimes considered as synonymous with sorrow; and in this case we speak of the transports of grief. At other times it expresses more silent, deep, and painful affections, such as are inspired by domestic calamities, particularly by the loss of friends and relatives, or by the distress, either of body or mind, experienced by those whom we love and value." Cogan.See Affliction.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "grief" mean?
• What is another word for "grief"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is grief.

• What is cause of sorrow or pain; that which afficts or distresses; trial; grievance. Be factious for redress of all these griefs. Shak called?