Meanings
comparative more grievously · superlative most grievously
- 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 iii2 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, rectoThat'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
Origin
- Middle Englishgrevously
- Englishgrievously
From Middle English grevously; equivalent to grievous + -ly.
More words from Middle English
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
grievously. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grievously
“grievously.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grievously. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “grievously,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/grievously.
Source: grievously on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.