grief
gb/ɡɹˈif/ us/ɡɹˈif/
B1
English
~ 1700
gyász, bánat, gond, kellemetlenség, piszkál
NOUN
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to feel [grief] over [something/someone]
She was overcome with grief after her father's passing.
Édesapja halála után teljesen elhatalmasodott rajta a gyász.
The community shared their grief at the memorial service.
A közösség tagjai osztoztak a gyászban a megemlékezésen.
His grief was so great that he could not speak.
They offered her comfort in her time of grief.
He wrote a poem to express his grief.
Learner examples
She felt great grief when her dog died.
Nagyon mély bánatot érzett, amikor meghalt a kutyája.
He showed his grief when he cried.
Amikor sírt, kimutatta a bánatát.
We have grief when we lose people we love.
The family had grief after the accident.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'grief' with 'grievance'. 'Grief' is emotional pain, while 'grievance' is a complaint or cause for protest.
Meaning
Intense sorrow after loss
Collocations
deep grief
|overcome with grief
|express grief
|grief counseling
|deal with grief
Synonyms
sorrow (Often interchangeable, but 'sorrow' can be less intense or more general in use.)
|
heartache (More informal and can refer to romantic loss as well as other kinds.)
Antonyms
joy (Represents the opposite emotional state of happiness and pleasure.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|life events
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very strong feeling of sadness, usually when someone dies or you lose something important.
Deep and intense emotional pain, especially caused by the death or loss of someone or something important.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
to give [someone] [grief] about [something]
My boss has been giving me grief about missing deadlines.
A főnököm folyton a be nem tartott határidők miatt piszkál.
That old car has caused me nothing but grief.
Az a régi autó csak gondot okozott nekem.
She gave him grief for forgetting her birthday.
Learner examples
My teacher gave me grief for being late.
A tanárom piszkált, amiért elkéstem.
The rain gave us a lot of grief on our trip.
Az eső sok gondot okozott nekünk az út során.
This computer gives me grief every day.
Common mistake:
Learners may misunderstand this as literal sadness. In informal use, it means trouble or annoyance, not necessarily emotional pain.
Meaning
Trouble or problems from someone
Collocations
give grief
|cause grief
|no end of grief
Synonyms
hassle (Informal; often used for minor but irritating trouble.)
|
bother (Less intense; refers to mild irritation.)
Antonyms
relief (Represents the removal of trouble or distress.)
Themes
daily life
|conflict
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Problems or annoyance that someone gives you.
Trouble, difficulty, or annoyance caused by a person or situation.
Grammar
Dictionary form
grief
IPA
GB/ɡɹˈif/
US/ɡɹˈif/
Syllables & stress
grief (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (grief)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: grief
- Plural: grief, griefs
Word family
Expressions
come to grief
1/kˈʌm tə ɡɹˈif/
idiom
End in failure or disaster
To end in failure or have something bad happen.
Examples
- The project came to grief after the funding was cut.
- Many climbers have come to grief on this dangerous mountain.
come to terms with (one's) grief
1/kˈʌm tə tˈɚmz wˈɪθ wˈʌnz ɡɹˈif/
fixed phrase
Accept sadness after loss
To begin to accept and live with your sadness after losing someone or something important.
Examples
- It took her years to come to terms with her grief.
- He is slowly coming to terms with his grief after the accident.
give someone grief
1/ɡˈɪv sˈʌmwˌʌn ɡɹˈif/
idiom
informal
Cause trouble for someone
To cause someone problems or make them annoyed.
Examples
- Stop giving me grief about my clothes!
- The engine has been giving me grief all week.
good grief
1/ɡˈʊd ɡɹˈif/
idiom
informal
Exclamation of surprise or shock
An expression used to show surprise, shock, or annoyance.
Examples
- Good grief! What happened here?
- Good grief, you scared me!