Meaning & Definition of Grievous in English

1. Causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm

• "A dangerous operation"

• "A grave situation"

• "A grave illness"

• "Grievous bodily harm"

• "A serious wound"

• "A serious turn of events"

• "A severe case of pneumonia"

• "A life-threatening disease"

2. Causing or marked by grief or anguish

• "A grievous loss"

• "A grievous cry"

• "Her sigh was heartbreaking"

• "The heartrending words of rabin's granddaughter"

3. Of great gravity or crucial import

• Requiring serious thought

• "Grave responsibilities"

• "Faced a grave decision in a time of crisis"

• "A grievous fault"

• "Heavy matters of state"

• "The weighty matters to be discussed at the peace conference"

4. Shockingly brutal or cruel

• "Murder is an atrocious crime"

• "A grievous offense against morality"

• "A grievous crime"

• "No excess was too monstrous for them to commit"