ENGLISH
REFERENCE

grieving

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɡɹivɪŋ// UK //ɡɹˈiːvɪŋ// griev·ing

adj. feeling very sad because someone you love has died. It describes the deep pain and process of healing after a loss.

adj. experiencing intense sorrow or psychological distress following a significant loss, particularly the death of a loved one. Often used predicatively after linking verbs or attributively to describe a person's state.


SIMPLE

The grieving family asked for privacy during the funeral.

CONTEXTUAL

She spent months grieving her father's passing before she felt ready to return to her social life.

COMPLEX

While the grieving process is deeply personal and lacks a fixed timeline, many find that sharing memories of the deceased provides a necessary outlet for their emotional burden.

Synonyms
Usage

Often follows linking verbs like 'be', 'feel', or 'seem'; can also precede the noun it modifies.

Pitfall

she is grieving for her lost keysshe is upset about her lost keysGrieving is reserved for profound losses like death; using it for minor objects or inconveniences sounds overly dramatic or incorrect.

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