grieving

IPA/ˈɡriː.vɪŋ/
KK[ɡrˈivɪŋ]IPA/ˈɡriː.vɪŋ/

grieving — adjective

  • grievingpositive
  • more grievingcomparative
  • most grievingsuperlative

1. in a state of deep sorrow because a family member, friend, or other loved one ha

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

in a state of deep sorrow because a family member, friend, or other loved one has recently died

Example

Roya's grieving mother could barely speak at the memorial service.

grieving used before a noun (attributive)

The school counsellor helped grieving students after their classmate's sudden death.

grieving + noun referring to people

Common collocations
  • grieving mother / father / parent
  • grieving widow / widower
  • grieving family
  • grieving community
  • grieving relatives
  • grieving household
Synonyms
  • mourning

    Mourning often emphasizes the outward customs and rituals of grief (wearing black, holding a funeral), while grieving focuses on the inner emotional state.

  • bereaved

    Bereaved is more formal and is typically used only for someone who has lost a close relative; a 'bereaved parent' has lost a child.

  • sorrowful

    Sorrowful is a broader, more literary word that covers any deep sadness, not just from death.

Antonyms
  • joyful

    Describes a feeling of great happiness, opposite of the deep sadness of grieving.

  • cheerful

    Describes a light, happy mood, contrasting with the heavy sorrow of grief.

Grammar Patterns

grieving + noun (person or group)

be + grieving

Usage Note

Frequently used before a noun that names a person or group of people (mother, father, family, community). Also common after a linking verb: 'She was still grieving and needed time alone.' Do not use for general sadness unrelated to death.

Common Mistakes

I am grieving because I failed the exam.
I am grieving because my grandmother passed away.
grieving is specifically tied to losing someone through death, not general disappointment or failure.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Grieving, mourning, bereaved, and sorrowful all describe sadness, but they differ in scope and use. Grieving focuses on the internal emotional pain after a death — a grieving parent feels the loss deeply inside. Mourning is more about the outward expression: wearing black, holding a funeral, observing a period of ritual sadness. Bereaved is narrower and more formal — it almost always means someone has lost a family member through death ('the bereaved son'). Sorrowful is the broadest word and covers any kind of deep sadness, not just from death; a person can be sorrowful about the state of the world. Example: 'The grieving widow attended the memorial.' / 'The community mourned by lighting candles.' / 'The bereaved family requested privacy.' / 'She felt sorrowful watching the news.'

grieving ↗mourning ↗bereaved ↗sorrowful ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in grief
  • in mourning

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Grieving comes from the verb grieve, which entered English through Old French grever (to burden, to afflict), from Latin gravāre (to make heavy), which traces back to gravis meaning 'heavy.' The emotional sense — carrying a heavy heart after a loss — developed in Middle English and has remained the core meaning ever since.