griever

noun

griev·​er ˈgrē-vər How to pronounce griever (audio)
plural grievers
1
: a person who is experiencing grief (as because of bereavement)
Antidepressants do not ease the longing for the deceased that grievers feel.Virginia Hughes
Studies now show that, although some grievers may progress through these stages just as Kubler-Ross outlined, many don't. … In reality, the grief process looks a lot less like a neat set of stages and a lot more like a rollercoaster of emotions.David B. Feldman
2
US : one who has or expresses a grievance
On the afternoon of May 28, resident Rick Grant told The Enterprise as he waited with other grievers in the town hall's town-board room for his turn before a board, "We all want the same thing: Be real on the taxes, do a proper assessment, a fair assessment."The Altamont Enterprise
Mr. Moseley is a union "griever," or shop steward as he would be called in some unions, handling union members' complaints against his employer …Alex Kotlowitz

Examples of griever in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Keep in mind that the grieving process is unique to the griever. Claire Gillespie, Health, 9 Nov. 2023 This is why Latine death doulas and grief workers, who grew up around death ceremonies and thus feel more comfortable discussing grief and supporting grievers, encourage more expansive perspectives on death. Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 30 Oct. 2023 Throughout, the author toggles between writing directly to an imagined reader, often a compatriot griever, and apostrophically addressing her dead friend. Tahneer Oksman, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2023 Grief support groups are specific to the age of the griever, length of time since the death and the relationship to the person who died. Laura Newberry, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2022 There is little doubt that Joe Biden is a world-class griever. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 26 May 2022 Migratory grief can also be a disenfranchised grief, one in which the griever’s feelings might be dismissed because society doesn’t understand them. Sheon Han, The Atlantic, 30 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'griever.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of griever was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near griever

Cite this Entry

“Griever.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/griever. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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