grievous
UK: ˈɡriːvəs | US: ˈɡriːvəs
adj. causing or characterized by severe pain, suffering, or distress
adj. (of an offense or mistake) very serious or shocking
griev<grief> + ous<adjective suffix>
- griev: From Middle English greven ("to grieve"), derived from Old French grever ("to burden, harm"), ultimately from Latin gravis ("heavy, serious").
- ous: A suffix forming adjectives, from Latin -osus, indicating "full of" or "having the quality of."
Etymology Origin:
The word grievous traces back to the Latin gravis ("heavy"), which metaphorically extended to mean "serious" or "severe." Over time, the Old French grever ("to burden") influenced the Middle English greven, leading to the modern root griev-. The suffix -ous (from Latin -osus) was added to form an adjective, emphasizing the quality of being full of grief or seriousness. Thus, grievous literally means "full of grief" or "heavily burdensome," reflecting its modern usage to describe severe pain or offenses.
The accident left him with grievous injuries that required months of recovery.
The judge described the crime as a grievous violation of trust.
She bore the grievous news of her father’s passing with quiet strength.
The policy had grievous consequences for the poorest members of society.
His grievous mistake cost the company millions in losses.