Grievous is an adjective describing something severe or causing great suffering or sorrow. It conveys serious, often painful, harm or offense and is used in formal or literary contexts. The term implies substantial severity, gravely negative impact, or enduring distress beyond ordinary or minor.
US: rhotic, slight r-coloring; UK: non-rhotic or light r; AU: non-rhotic with broad vowel qualities. Vowel notes: /iː/ in US and UK are long and tense; final /ə/ is weak in all. Consonants: /ɡ/ plosive, /r/ may be slightly colored in US; /v/ remains labiodental and voiced. Accent tips: exaggerate the first syllable slightly in slow practice to secure the long /iː/; in fast speech, ensure the glide to /v/ remains connected without introducing an extra vowel. IPA references: US /ˈɡriː.vəs/, UK /ˈɡriː.vəs/, AU /ˈɡriː.vəs/.
"The king issued a formal decree in response to the grievous losses suffered in the war."
"Her gravely wounded friends gave a grievous tale of the accident."
"The jury delivered a grievous verdict that echoed through the courtroom."
"They faced grievous consequences for breaking the contract."
Grievous comes from the Old French grievous, which stems from the Latin gravis, meaning heavy or serious, related to gravity and weight. The transition from Latin gravis to French grieveux/gravieus produced Medieval Latin gravis to Old French grievous, with the sense expanding from 'heavy' to 'serious in effect' and 'causing sorrow or pain.' In Middle English, the form gravous or grievous appeared, stabilizing in Early Modern English as grievous by the 15th century. The core sense centers on heaviness and severity, both physical and moral, evolving to include severe injury, offense, or situations producing great distress. First known uses are documented in late medieval texts, with the word becoming common in religious and legal contexts to describe grave offenses and severe injuries before broadening to everyday intense circumstances. The word has retained its formal and solemn connotations, often used in literature and formal prose to emphasize severity and impact.
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Words that rhyme with "Grievous"
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Grievous is pronounced /ˈɡriː.vəs/. The first syllable carries primary stress: GREE. The vowel is a long /iː/ as in 'gree,' and the second syllable is a schwa /ə/ followed by /s/. Ensure the /v/ is voiced clearly between the two vowels, with a light, concise release after /v/ before the final /əs/. Audio reference: think of saying 'gree-vohs' quickly but with accurate /ə/ and final /s/.
Common mistakes include: (1) misplacing stress on the second syllable ('grii-EE-vos'); (2) shortening the first vowel to a lax /ɪ/ instead of the long /iː/; (3) slurring the second syllable into /voʊs/ or /vəs/ too heavily. Correction tips: keep /ˈɡriː/ as a stable, long vowel with lip spread, then move quickly to /vəs/ with a reduced second syllable; practice by saying ‘gree-vo-s’ with a soft, quick final /s/ and avoid overemphasizing the second vowel.
In US, UK, and AU, the initial /ɡriː/ remains; the main difference is rhoticity and vowel quality. US often preserves /ɹ/ lightly and reduces the final syllable to /ˌvəs/ or /ˈvəs/ with a schwa-ish vowel; UK tends toward a palatalized /ɡriː.vəs/ with a crisper final /s/ and less rhotic influence; AU matches non-rhotic tendencies similar to UK, with slightly broader vowels and less extraneous syllable length. Overall, the primary variance lies in vowel quality and rhythm, not in consonant articulation.
Grievous challenges include the long /iː/ in the first syllable, which must be held without diphthong drift, and the contrast between /v/ and the following /ə/ schwa, which requires a quick transition. The second syllable is reduced, so you must avoid over-articulating /ə/ and keep the final /s/ crisp to prevent trailing off. Practicing the distinct two-syllable rhythm and maintaining stress on the first syllable helps prevent common rushing or misplacement of the vowel sounds.
Grievous often pairs with nouns like 'grievous harm' or 'grievous injuries'; note that it is not typically used to describe abstract acts alone, but the severity is emphasized when paired with harm, injuries, or consequences. The phonetic emphasis remains on the first syllable /ˈɡriː/; keep the second syllable /vəs/ light and quick, preventing a heavy coda. This helps keep phrase rhythm natural in formal writing and speech.
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