grief
grief — noun
1. A very strong feeling of sadness that you experience when someone you love dies
A very strong feeling of sadness that you experience when someone you love dies or when you lose something of great importance to your life.
When Aylin's grandfather died, the whole family was overcome with grief at his funeral.
collocation: overcome with grief
Mira visited a support group to work through her deep grief after the divorce.
collocation: deep grief
The entire village shared in Christopher's grief after the school burned down in the fire.
Talking to a counsellor helped Asher express his grief in a safe and private setting.
Tara knelt at the cemetery and wiped dust from her brother's headstone, her grief heavy in her chest.
- sorrow
A more general term for sadness; grief is deeper and more specifically tied to loss or death.
- mourning
Refers to the outward expression or period of grief, especially after a death.
- anguish
Stronger than grief, with an added sense of physical or mental agony.
- heartache
More personal and often tied to romantic or family loss; less formal than grief.
文法句型
grief + at/over/for [loss]
overcome with grief
用法筆記
Often used with the prepositions 'at', 'over', or 'for' to indicate the cause of the sadness. Frequently modified by adjectives such as 'deep', 'profound', 'unbearable', or 'private'. The noun is uncountable in this sense — do not say 'a grief' when referring to the emotion itself.
常見錯誤
2. Annoying remarks, teasing complaints, or expressions of displeasure directed at
Annoying remarks, teasing complaints, or expressions of displeasure directed at someone — most commonly used in the fixed phrase "give someone grief."
Mateo's teammates gave him grief for missing the winning shot in the final seconds.
fixed phrase: give someone grief
The revised bus timetable caused a lot of grief among commuters waiting in the cold.
Putri's aunt gave her grief every time she visited without bringing homemade cake.
Stop giving me grief about my haircut, Nia told her older brother with a frown.
The football coach endured grief from furious parents all through the losing season.
- praise
Expressions of approval, the opposite of critical remarks.
文法句型
give + person + grief
get grief from [someone]
用法筆記
Most frequent in the informal fixed phrase 'give someone grief', which means to criticize, tease, or complain persistently. The structure is 'give + [person] + grief + (optional: for/about [reason])'. Less common in formal writing or speech.
常見錯誤
3. Problems, difficulty, or annoyance caused by a situation or process — especially
Problems, difficulty, or annoyance caused by a situation or process — especially when the trouble feels like more effort than the result deserves.
Setting up the new accounting software was nothing but grief from start to finish.
pattern: nothing but grief
The old plumbing in Ravindra's apartment has been a constant source of grief.
Salma decided the whole renovation project was more grief than it was worth.
Henry had so much grief with his student visa application that he almost gave up.
文法句型
nothing but grief
more grief than it's worth
source of grief
用法筆記
Common in everyday spoken language describing minor to moderate frustrations. Unlike the DEEP SADNESS sense, this sense does not carry emotional weight — it refers to practical hassles. Often appears in the comparative phrase 'more grief than it's worth.'
常見錯誤
4. A nagging or recurring physical discomfort in a specific part of the body — ofte
A nagging or recurring physical discomfort in a specific part of the body — often a joint or muscle that causes trouble over time.
The old rugby injury still gives Sayaka grief in her lower back every winter.
pattern: gives + person + grief in [body part] (physical)
Dylan's knee has been causing him grief ever since he ran the marathon last spring.
Anna complained of grief in her shoulder after painting the entire ceiling by herself.
Astrid's grandmother gets grief in her hands when the cold weather arrives each year.
- pain
More general; grief is more specific to nagging, recurring discomfort rather than sharp pain.
- discomfort
Milder and more formal; grief carries a sense of nuisance and persistence.
- ache
Continuous but usually less intense; grief can be sharper or more intermittent.
文法句型
give + person + grief in [body part]
cause + person + grief
用法筆記
Primarily British English. Describes recurring or persistent discomfort rather than sharp, acute pain. The pattern 'give [someone] grief in [body part]' is the most common syntactic frame. In American English, 'give [someone] trouble' or 'act up' is more common for the same meaning.
常見錯誤
5. An event, situation, or circumstance that makes someone feel deep unhappiness or
An event, situation, or circumstance that makes someone feel deep unhappiness or sorrow — for example, a major disappointment or a tragic event in someone's life.
Losing the family farm was a grief that Michael's grandfather never fully recovered from.
countable: a grief
The early death of the village doctor was a grief to all who knew her.
For Sirin, the cancelled art scholarship became a grief she carried for many years.
The separation from her childhood village was a grief that Mira described in her poetry.
- sorrow
Can also be used countably as 'a sorrow'; slightly broader and less intense than 'a grief'.
- affliction
More formal and often has religious or literary overtones; a grief is more personal.
- heartbreak
Stronger and more specific to romantic or family-related loss; grief here is broader.
- blessing
Something that brings happiness or good fortune, the opposite of a cause of sadness.
文法句型
a grief to [someone]
become a grief
用法筆記
This is the only sense of 'grief' that can be used as a countable noun — you can say 'a grief' or 'griefs'. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is the feeling itself (uncountable), while this sense is the thing that causes the feeling (countable, often in more formal or literary language).