greet

1 of 2

verb (1)

ˈgrēt 

greeted; greeting; greets

transitive verb

1

: to address with expression of kind wishes upon meeting or arrival

greeted guests at the door

2

a

: to meet or react to in a specified manner

greeted him with boos

b

: to occur as a response to

apathy greeted the plan

3

: to appear to the perception of

a surprising sight greeted her eyes

greeter noun

greet

2 of 2

verb (2)

grat ˈgrat  ; grutten ˈgrə-tᵊn 

intransitive verb

Scotland

: weep, lament

Examples of greet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Rapper Eminem, right, greets former President Barack Obama, left, on stage at a campaign rally supporting Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Detroit. —Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 23 Oct. 2024

President Lincoln himself entered the East Room and greeted Stover’s father by name. —Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024

As King Charles and Queen Camilla embarked on a 30-minute walk to greet the crowd, Charles stopped to pat the alpaca. —Erin Hill, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024

Display it on a table in your entryway to greet arriving holiday guests. —Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English greten, from Old English grētan; akin to Old English grǣtan to weep

Verb (2)

Middle English greten, from Old English grǣtan; akin to Old Norse grāta to weep

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing greet

• meet and greet

Kids Definition

greet

verb

ˈgrēt

1

: to address upon arrival or meeting with expressions of kind wishes

greeted guests at the door

2

: to meet or react to in a specified manner

greeted with cheers

3

: to appear or present itself to

a surprising sight greeted her eyes

greeter noun