grievously

G2R1I1E1V4O1U1S1L1Y4

adverb

In a grievous manner, severely.

UncommonScrabble 17

Meanings

adverbgrievously (comparative more grievously, superlative most grievously)

comparative more grievously · superlative most grievously

  1. In a grievous manner, severely.

    Thoſe Chriſtian Captiues, which you keepe as ſlaues, […] when they chance to reſt or breath a ſpace, Are puniſht with Baſtones so grieuouſly, That they lie panting on the Gallies ſide.

    c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii
    2 more examples

    [T]he king ſent to the ſea ſixe good ſhippes, well manned and vitayled for the warre: […] for ſaffegarde of the Merchauntes, and other the kinges ſubiectes, that were greuouſly ſpoyled and robbed on the ſea, by Frenchmen, Scottes and other rouers.

    a. 1548 (date written), Edward Hall, Richard Grafton, “[The Triumphant Reigne of Kyng Henry the VIII.] The .XIIJ. Yere.”, in The Vnion of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre & Yorke, […], London: […] Rychard Grafton, […] [and Steven Mierdman], published 1550, →OCLC, folio lxxxxi, recto

    That's why this failure of the super committee represents a reckless, irresponsible gamble by our "leaders" in Washington. It's difficult to remember a Congress that has put the nation so much at risk in the service of ideology and to hold onto office. Partisans on both sides are grievously failing the country.

    2011 November 21, David Gergen, “Have They Gone Nuts in Washington?”, in CNN

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Middle Englishgrevously
  2. Englishgrievously

From Middle English grevously; equivalent to grievous + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French grièvement
  • grièvementin a grievous manner
Polish poważnie
  • poważniein a grievous manner
Russian мучи́тельно
  • мучи́тельно (mučítelʹno)in a grievous manner
Swedish allvarlig, sorgligt
  • allvarligin a grievous manner
  • sorgligtin a grievous manner
Cite this entry
APA

grievously. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grievously

MLA

“grievously.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grievously. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “grievously,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grievously.

Source: grievously on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.