grief

/ɡriːf/ (bre, ipa) · /ɡriːf/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgrēf/ (ame, mw)

grief — 名詞

  • griefsingular
  • griefsplural

1. A very strong feeling of sadness that you experience when someone you love dies

1.名詞B1
釋義

悲痛；哀傷

因失去至親或重要事物而深感悲傷

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.

例句

When Aylin's grandfather died, the whole family was overcome with grief at his funeral.

Aylin 的祖父過世時，全家人在葬禮上悲痛不已。

collocation: overcome with grief

Mira visited a support group to work through her deep grief after the divorce.

Mira 去了一個支持團體，以處理離婚後的深切哀傷。

collocation: deep grief

同義詞
  • 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.

反義詞
  • joy

    A feeling of great happiness, the opposite of the sadness grief describes.

  • relief

    The easing of emotional pain, contrasting with the heaviness of 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

❌I felt a grief when my phone broke.
✅I felt grief when my grandmother passed away.
💡Grief is for deep, serious losses, not minor everyday frustrations.
❌I had griefs about my exam results.
✅I felt grief over my exam results.
💡The emotion is uncountable; do not add -s.

2. Annoying remarks, teasing complaints, or expressions of displeasure directed at

2.名詞B2
釋義

責難；批評

針對某人的抱怨、嘲諷或指責

Annoying remarks, teasing complaints, or expressions of displeasure directed at someone — most commonly used in the fixed phrase "give someone grief."

例句

Mateo's teammates gave him grief for missing the winning shot in the final seconds.

Mateo 的隊友因為他在最後幾秒錯失了致勝投籃而不斷數落他。

fixed phrase: give someone grief

The revised bus timetable caused a lot of grief among commuters waiting in the cold.

修改過的公車時刻表讓在寒冷中等待的通勤者抱怨連連。

同義詞
  • criticism

    More formal and less emotional; grief has a teasing or nagging quality.

  • flak

    Originally military slang; similar to grief but more about public or professional censure.

  • hassle

    Focuses more on inconvenience than on verbal criticism.

反義詞
  • 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

❌My teacher gave me a lot of grief about my homework.' (when meaning 'a lot of homework to do')
✅My teacher gave me grief about my messy handwriting.
💡'Give someone grief' means to criticize, not to assign work.
❌She gave grief to him.
✅She gave him grief.
💡The person receiving the criticism comes before 'grief', not after 'to'.

3. Problems, difficulty, or annoyance caused by a situation or process — especially

3.名詞B2
釋義

麻煩；困擾

由某情況或過程帶來的困難與惱人之事

Problems, difficulty, or annoyance caused by a situation or process — especially when the trouble feels like more effort than the result deserves.

例句

Setting up the new accounting software was nothing but grief from start to finish.

安裝那套新的會計軟體從頭到尾簡直是麻煩不斷。

pattern: nothing but grief

The old plumbing in Ravindra's apartment has been a constant source of grief.

Ravindra 公寓裡的老舊水管一直是個令人頭痛的來源。

同義詞
  • trouble

    Broader in meaning; grief in this sense specifically implies frustration with a process or situation.

  • hassle

    Nearly synonymous but slightly milder; grief suggests more sustained annoyance.

  • bother

    Milder and more British in tone; grief is more emphatic.

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

❌The death of my pet caused me a lot of grief.' (for emotional loss)
✅My computer crash caused me a lot of grief.
💡Use this sense for practical problems, not deep emotional loss. For deep sadness, see sense 1.

4. A nagging or recurring physical discomfort in a specific part of the body — ofte

4.名詞C1
釋義

疼痛

身體某部位反覆出現的不適或酸痛

A nagging or recurring physical discomfort in a specific part of the body — often a joint or muscle that causes trouble over time.

例句

The old rugby injury still gives Sayaka grief in her lower back every winter.

Sayaka 多年前的橄欖球傷勢，每年冬天仍讓她的下背部隱隱作痛。

pattern: gives + person + grief in [body part] (physical)

Dylan's knee has been causing him grief ever since he ran the marathon last spring.

Dylan 的膝蓋自從去年春天跑完馬拉松之後就一直困擾著他。

同義詞
  • 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

❌I felt grief in my stomach after eating bad food.
✅I felt grief in my shoulder after lifting heavy boxes.
💡This sense is typically used for joints, muscles, and bones, not for internal or digestive discomfort.

5. An event, situation, or circumstance that makes someone feel deep unhappiness or

5.名詞B2
釋義

傷心事

造成極大痛苦或悲傷的事件或情況

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.

例句

Losing the family farm was a grief that Michael's grandfather never fully recovered from.

失去家族農場是 Michael 的祖父終生無法完全釋懷的一件傷心事。

countable: a grief

The early death of the village doctor was a grief to all who knew her.

那位村莊醫師的早逝，是每個認識她的人心中的悲痛。

同義詞
  • 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.

反義詞
  • 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).

常見錯誤

❌Losing my keys was a grief.
✅Losing my keys was a nuisance.
💡Reserve 'a grief' for truly significant losses or disappointments, not minor inconveniences.
❌His death was grief to the community.
✅His death was a grief to the community.
💡In this sense, the article 'a' is required before 'grief'.