Grievous
/ˈɡriː.vəs/noun
Causing grief or sorrow; serious or severe.
Did you know?The term 'grievous' is tied to the Latin 'gravis', meaning 'heavy', symbolizing the weight of sorrow and suffering in human experience.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰrew-
“to be heavy or weighty.”
Latin
Latin
gravis
“heavy, serious, or severe.”
Old French
Old French
grievous
“heavy, burdensome, or troublesome.”
Middle English
Middle English
grievous
“serious or causing sorrow.”
Modern English
English
grievous
“inflicting or causing grief or suffering.”