# grief

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɡɹiːf/ · frequency rank #6,251

## Definitions
1. Suffering, hardship.
2. Emotional pain, generally arising from misfortune, significant personal loss, bereavement, misconduct of oneself or others, etc.; sorrow; sadness.
3. A cause or instance of sorrow or pain; that which afflicts or distresses; a trial.

## Etymology
From Middle English greef, gref, from Old French grief (“grave, heavy, grievous, sad”), from Latin gravis (“heavy, grievous, sad”). Doublet of grave.

## Easily confused with
- **grip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grip)
- **grim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grim)
- **grin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grin)
- **grit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grit)
- **grind** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grind)
- **grill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grill)
- **grips** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grips)
- **Grimm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grimm)
- **grime** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grime)
- **grits** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grits)
- **grins** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grins)
- **gripe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-gripe)
- **gruff** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-gruff)
- **grimy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grimy)
- **grist** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grist)
- **Griff** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-griff)
- **grieve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grieve)
- **Grimes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-grimes)
- **gif** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gif-vs-grief)
- **GRE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gre-vs-grief)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ggrief`, `giref`, `greif`, `grieff`, `grife`, `grrief`, `rgief`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/grief