If you describe something such as a loss as grievous, you mean that it is extremely serious or worrying in its effects.
Their loss would be a grievous blow to our engineering industries.
Mr Morris said the victims had suffered from a very grievous mistake.
Synonyms: deplorable, shocking, appalling, dreadful More Synonyms of grievous
grievouslyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
Birds, sea-life and the coastline all suffered grievously.
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
A grievous injury to your body is one that causes you great pain and suffering.
He survived in spite of suffering grievous injuries.
Synonyms: severe, damaging, heavy, wounding More Synonyms of grievous
grievouslyadverb [ADVERB with verb, ADVERB adjective]
The world champion driver was grievously injured.
grievous in British English
(ˈɡriːvəs)
adjective
1.
very severe or painful
a grievous injury
2.
very serious; heinous
a grievous sin
3.
showing or marked by grief
a grievous cry
4.
causing great pain or suffering
a grievous attack
Derived forms
grievously (ˈgrievously)
adverb
grievousness (ˈgrievousness)
noun
grievous in American English
(ˈgrivəs)
adjective
1.
causing grief
2.
showing or characterized by grief
a grievous cry
3.
causing suffering; hard to bear; severe
grievous pain
4.
very serious; deplorable
a grievous fault
5.
atrocious; heinous
a grievous crime
Derived forms
grievously (ˈgrievously)
adverb
grievousness (ˈgrievousness)
noun
Word origin
ME grevous < OFr < grever: see grieve
Examples of 'grievous' in a sentence
grievous
He had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
At Grimsby crown court he pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
A man has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
The Sun (2016)
Chelmsford crown court had heard her admit grievous bodily harm and she was sentenced to two years prison, suspended for two years.
The Sun (2016)
But a lesser plea of inflicting grievous bodily harm was accepted by the CPS.
The Sun (2017)
The science teacher admitted grievous bodily harm without intent.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He pleaded guilty to criminal damage and inflicting grievous bodily harm.
The Sun (2014)
He pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Appeals by three others who admitted causing grievous bodily harm also failed.
The Sun (2008)
Thousands of offences including grievous bodily harm and malicious wounding are being cleared up with no more than an apology.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Each one is a grievous loss.
Christianity Today (2000)
Her death in January was a grievous blow.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
She denies murder, causing grievous bodily harm and arson with intent to endanger life.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He was carried off, at first with fears that he had suffered a grievous injury.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Either way, it is a grievous blow to the most pleasant and popular of jockeys.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Being chastised by the Americans in public reflected a grievous loss of face.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
One was convicted in 2000 for wounding and grievous bodily harm.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But she was convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm at Preston crown court.
The Sun (2015)
The two defendants deny conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to rob.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
A man is in custody charged with grievous bodily harm.
The Sun (2012)
The pair denied conspiracy to murder, the alternative charges of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to rob.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Still, the losses were grievous.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
Next January 26 will see another grievous blow.
The Sun (2013)
His death was a grievous blow to the world's respect for Marxist art and literature.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
He was released on police bail after being questioned on suspicion of three counts of murder and 18 counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
The Sun (2012)
He was jailed for 18 months for grievous bodily harm by a court in Guernsey after it heard that he had spat blood at police.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
grievous
British English: grievous ADJECTIVE
If you describe something such as a loss as grievous, you mean that it is extremely serious or worrying in its effects.
Their loss would be a grievous blow to our engineering industries.
American English: grievous
Brazilian Portuguese: penoso
Chinese: 极其严重的
European Spanish: grave
French: grave
German: schwer
Italian: grave
Japanese: 深刻な
Korean: 심각한
European Portuguese: penoso
Latin American Spanish: grave
Chinese translation of 'grievous'
grievous
(ˈɡriːvəs)
adj
[loss, mistake, blow]沉痛的 (chéntòng de)
grievous bodily harm (Law) 严(嚴)重的人身伤(傷)害 (yánzhòng de rénshēn shānghài)
1 (adjective)
Definition
very serious or worrying
Their loss would be a grievous blow to our engineering industries.
Synonyms
deplorable
Many of them work under deplorable conditions.
shocking
This was a shocking invasion of privacy.
appalling
They have been living under the most appalling conditions.
dreadful
They told us the dreadful news.
outrageous
I must apologize for my friend's outrageous behaviour.
glaring
I never saw such a glaring example of misrepresentation.
intolerable
monstrous
A monstrous crime has been committed.
shameful
It is a shameful state of affairs.
unbearable
atrocious
The treatment of the prisoners was atrocious.
heinous
They are capable of the most heinous acts.
lamentable
This lamentable state of affairs lasted until 1947.
egregious
the most egregious abuses of human rights
Opposites
pleasant
,
delightful
2 (adjective)
Definition
very severe or painful
He survived in spite of suffering grievous injuries.
Synonyms
severe
The fence collapsed during the recent severe weather.
damaging
Is the recycling process damaging to the environment?
heavy
They bear a heavy burden of responsibility.
wounding
wounding remarks about her appearance
grave
He says the situation in his country is very grave.
painful
His remark brought back painful memories.
distressing
the distressing symptoms of anxiety
dreadful
harmful
the harmful effects of smoking
afflicting
calamitous
injurious
Stress in itself is not necessarily injurious.
Opposites
mild
,
trivial
,
insignificant
,
unimportant
Additional synonyms
in the sense of appalling
Definition
causing dismay, horror, or revulsion
They have been living under the most appalling conditions.
Synonyms
horrifying,
shocking (informal),
terrible,
alarming,
frightening,
scaring,
awful,
terrifying,
horrible,
grim,
dreadful,
intimidating,
dismaying,
horrific,
fearful (informal),
daunting,
dire,
astounding,
ghastly,
hideous,
shameful,
harrowing,
vile,
unnerving,
petrifying,
horrid,
unspeakable,
frightful,
nightmarish,
abominable,
disheartening,
godawful (slang),
hellacious (US, slang),
from hell (informal)
in the sense of atrocious
Definition
extremely cruel or wicked
The treatment of the prisoners was atrocious.
Synonyms
cruel,
savage,
brutal,
vicious,
ruthless,
infamous,
monstrous,
wicked,
barbaric,
inhuman,
diabolical,
heinous,
flagrant,
infernal,
fiendish,
villainous,
nefarious,
horrifying,
grievous
in the sense of damaging
Is the recycling process damaging to the environment?