grievous, a.
(ˈgriːvəs)
Forms: 4–6 grevous, (4 -os, -es, 5 -ows, -ose, ? -ours, ? -est, 6 -us), 4 grefeous, 5 greivos, grewo(u)s, 6 greveous, 6–7 greevous, 7 (9 dial.) gr(i)vious, 6– grievous. Also 5 grawous, gravewis.
[a. OF. grevos, -(o)us, -eus, f. grever to grieve. With the forms grawous, gravewis, cf. OF. graveus, (rare), med.L. gravōsus, It. and Sp. gravoso.]
† 1. a. Pressing heavily upon a person (or persons), burdensome, oppressive. In later use only of public burdens or grievances. Obs.
Such collocations as grievous burden survive in occasional use, but the adj. is apprehended in sense 5.
| 13.. Barlam & Jos. 167 Ȝif þer any þing be þat greuous is to þe, & we togedir ben, þe lyȝter it schal be. 1382 Wyclif 1 Kings xii. 4 The moost greuous ȝok that he hath putte on to vs. ― Matt. xxiii. 23 Tho thingis that ben greuouser..of the lawe. 1426 in Surtees Misc. (1888) 10 Þe charge is to me full hevy and grevous. 1531 Tindale Exp. John (1537) 74 Hys commaundementes are not greueous. 1550 Latimer Serm. at Stamford i. 90 Christ came to bring us out of..a greater burthen and a more greeuouser burthen, the burthen of sinne. 1593 Bilson Govt. Christ's Ch. 322 Your discipline is farre greeuouser to the faithfull. 1611 Bible 1 Kings xii. 4 Thy father made our yoke grieuous: now therefore, make thou the grieuous seruice of thy father..lighter. 1663 Marvell Corr. xlii. Wks. 1872–5 II. 91 A Committee is also inspecting all illegall patents, and grievous to the subject. 1666 Ibid. lii. II. 188 The committee have voted the Canary Company grievous, illegal, and a monopoly. 1765 T. Hutchinson Hist. Mass. I. iii. 35 Mr. Dudley's short administration was not very grievous. [1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. vi. II. 90 The High Commission was generally regarded as the most grievous of the many grievances under which the nation laboured.] |
† b. Of a task: Heavy, arduous, difficult. Obs.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce x. 636 Fra-thine vp wes grevousar To clym vp. c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶529 And in as muche as thilke love is the moore greuous to perfourne, in so muche is the more gretter the merite. a 1450 Paston Lett. No. 75 I. 97 It will be right gravewis to him to heile of his hurt, he is so sore streken. 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 108 It is a greuos thing to conquere them [Royaumes], yet is it a more greuours & more chargeable to kepe them wel. |
† c. Of penalties, punishment, indignation: Falling heavily upon one; heavy, severe. Obs.
| 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xvii. 77 So for hus glotonye and grete synne he haþ a greuous penaunce. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. (E.E.T.S.) 160 God ther-of toke greivos vengeaunce. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. xviii. 92 Let this be the greuousest punishment emong you. 1564 Haward Eutropius vii. 72 He woulde not lightlye punyshe anye..with anye grevouser penaltye then by banishment only. 1648 Gage West Ind. iv. 12 Signifying..his own grievous indignation against me. 1659 D. Pell Impr. Sea 146 War is a thing that punishes men, with the greatest, and grievousest punishments that can bee. |
† d. Of persons: Causing trouble or annoyance to others; oppressive. Of an assailant: Pressing hard on. Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif 2 Cor. xii. 14, I schal not be greuous [L. gravis] to ȝou. 1470–85 Malory Arthur i. xiv, The Duke Eustace..and Kynge Claryaunce..were alweye greuous on Vlfyus. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 124/2 And as she that was besy and greuous to hym he said to her goo unto the holy man that is named Effraym. 1535 Coverdale Isa. vii. 13 Is it not ynough for you, that ye be greuous vnto men, but ye must greue my God also? 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. x. 62 Ye shall be grieuouse to no man with beggyng. 1586 J. Hooker Girald. Irel. in Holinshed II. 8/1 To his owne people he was rough and greevous, and hatefull unto strangers. 1600 Hakluyt Voy. III. 847, I do intreat you all to forgiue me in whatsoeuer I haue bin grieuous vnto you. |
e. Of a complaint: Pressing heavily on the person complained of. (In later use merely intensive or associated with sense 5 or 6.)
| 1553 Eden Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.) 36 Mouinge greuous complayntes agaynst them before the King of Spaine. 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 487 The complaints I heare of thee, are grieuous. a 1715 Burnet Own Time (1724) I. 370 They raised a grievous outcry for the want of a National Synod to regulate our worship and government. 1871 Morley Carlyle (1878) 175 There is the same grievous complaint against the time and its men and its spirit. |
2. a. Of things, events, accidents, etc.: Bringing serious trouble or discomfort; having injurious effects; † causing hurt or pain. (Now only with mixture of sense 5—‘grievous to think of’—qualifying intensively a n. denoting something painful or injurious.)
| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 1565 And þa, þat with swylk gyses God greves, Sall fall in many grevos myscheves. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. i. pr. iv. 8 (Camb. MS.) By-twixen wikked folkes and me han ben greuos descordes. 1535 Coverdale Heb. xii. 11 No maner chatisynge for the present tyme semeth to be ioyous, but greuous [also 1611 and 1881]. 1549 Cheke Hurt Sedit. (1641) 43 Can we not look for a grievouser and perillouser danger then the plague is? 1604 T. Wright Passions v. iv. 253 The greater perill, or grievouser evill incurred by the gift, encrease the goodnesse and valuation of the gift. 1612 Woodall Surg. Mate Wks. (1653) 3 We see daily many grievous Fractures healed without it [the Trapan]. 1751 Jortin Serm. (1771) I. iii. 43 We are there told that grievous inconveniences would follow such rigorous methods. 1864 D. G. Mitchell Sev. Stor. 281 Emile was laboring under a grievous delusion. 1870 Bryant Iliad I. i. 22 Wide-ruling Agamemnon may perceive How grievous was his folly. |
† b. Hurtful or injurious to something. Obs.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. vi. v. (1495) 193 Chyldren desire thynges that is to theym contrary and greuous. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 123 For colde ys most greuest to bonys & to pannycles þat beþ woundyde. |
† c. Offensive to the senses; having a bad taste, smell, etc. Obs.
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens i. xxx. 43 It is also of a very grievous savour. 1752 J. Louthian Form of Process App. 277 The Sheriff is required to visit and inspect such Room, and to disallow or prohibit the Use of the same, in case it shall appear to be grievous or unhealthy. |
† d. loosely. Excessively great or strong. Obs.
| 1632 Lithgow Trav. iv. 153 And the forequarters and head they throw into a grievous fire. Ibid. v. 193 A great Torrent..that maketh a greivous noyse night and day. |
3. a. Of a disease, wound, or pain: Causing great suffering or danger; acute, severe. Now rare.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 100/5 On Dame Eutice cam a siknesse: swiþe greuous and long. Four ȝer he hadde gret pine. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 2910 And þat syght es a payn ful grevous; For þe devels er swa foul and ydous. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 499 He hadde a greuous wounde. 1471 Ripley Comp. Alch. vi. xv. in Ashm. (1652) 164 Wyth grevose throwys. c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) iii. 293 Thes grawous peynes make me ner mad! 1552 Bk. Com. Prayer, Prayer Plague, Thys plague and greuouse sickenesse. 1667 Milton P.L. x. 501 A world who would not purchase with a bruise, Or much more grievous pain? 1683 Salmon Doron Med. i. 2984 The Leprosy is a more grievious Disease. 1865 R. W. Dale Jew. Temp. v. (1877) 58 The sufferings of Christ were grievous. 1879 J. M. Duncan Lect. Dis. Women xxxiii. (1889) 273 The disease..is not considered grievous enough to secure a bed in the hospital. |
b. grievous bodily harm, a legal term denoting a serious injury (see quot. 1959). Also transf.
| 1861 Act 24 & 25 Vict. c. 100 §20 Whosoever shall unlawfully and maliciously wound or inflict any grievous bodily Harm upon any other Person, either with or without any Weapon or Instrument, shall be guilty of a Misdemeanour. 1958 [see G.B.H., G III. f]. 1959 Jowitt Dict. Eng. Law I. 258/2 Bodily harm, any injury which is merely technical or trivial, as distinguished from the more serious injury termed ‘actual bodily harm’, or the still more serious injury termed ‘grievous bodily harm’. 1968 Listener 11 July 62/2 The spectator whose heart lifts at the sight of Clark Graebner committing grievous bodily harm on a tennis ball is a fortunate man indeed. |
4. Of a fault, crime, sin, etc.: Involving a grave degree of guilt, deserving heavy penalties. In later use chiefly with stronger sense: Atrocious, flagrant, heinous. Now only arch.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 26451 A sin of vnkindnes..þat als greues es [Fairf. þat iiij sa mikil greuouse is] Als all his oþer sinnes ware. c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 240 Of al synnes þat now ben þis is moost perelouse and grevous. 1395 Remonstr. agst. Rom. Corrupt. (1851) 14 Auarice and symonie ben greuosere synnis in him thanne is bodili fornicacioun. 1508 Fisher 7 Penit. Ps. xxxviii. Wks. (1876) 57 Have we not commytted many more greuouser offences than these be? 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 41 We see greeuous crimes, and flagicious facts..daily committed. 1601 [see grievously 1 b]. a 1656 Hales Gold. Rem. (1688) 96 Those are the more heavier and grievouser sins of our Lives. 1683 Col. Rec. Pennsylv. I. 87 A Heynous and Grevious Crime. 1860 Sala Lady Chesterf. Pref. 4 This little book.. has from first to last one grievous artistic fault. |
5. Causing mental pain or distress. Now with narrowed sense: Exciting grief or intense sorrow.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 4140 At tyme of midniȝt of þe niȝt, him mette a greuous cas. Him þoȝte he sey a grislich bere [etc.]. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xxxix. 314, I..was assoyled of alle that lay in my Conscience, of many a dyverse grevous poynt. 1535 Coverdale 2 Esdr. v. 21 After seuen dayes it happened, that y⊇ thoughtes of my hert were very greuous vnto me agayne. 1547–8 Ordre of Commvnion (1548) B j b, The remembraunce of them is greuous vnto vs. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, i. i. 141 That Newes is bad indeed..'Tis very greeuous to be thought vpon. 1692 Pepys Let. 9 Jan., Diary (1879) VI. 172, I would have come at you the other night at St. Martin's on that grievous occasion, but could not. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 472 ¶8 The Pleasures and Advantages of Sight being so great, the Loss must be very grievous. 1794 Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho xxx, It was so very grievous to her to think that [etc.]. 1833 H. Martineau Brooke Farm vii. 87 It was grievous to see in a short time how poorly they lived. |
6. Full of grief; very sad or sorrowful. rare.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. i. pr. i. 3 (Camb. MS.) And she, byholdynge my cheere, þat was..heuy and greuos of wepynge, compley[n]de..þat I shal seyen the perturbacyon of my thowht. 1590 Marlowe 2nd Pt. Tamburl. iii. i. The heir of mighty Bajazeth..Revives the spirits of all true Turkish hearts, In grievous memory of his father's shame. 1657 R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 36 And when he sees you come with a knife..to kill him, he vapours out the grievousest sighs, that ever you heard any creature make. 1828 Hawthorne Fanshawe ix. (1879) 144 Women..wearing a deep grievous expression of countenance. 1893 Daily News 9 Jan. 5/6 All the while the grievous mother stands by..and varies the dreary tale of pecuniary difficulty by telling [etc.]. |
7. quasi-adv.
| 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iv. i. 17 He cannot come, my Lord He is greeuous sick. |
Hence ˈgrievoushead [-head] = grievousness.
| 13.. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS. x. 47 Meur wiþ-outen greuoushed And Murie wiþ-outen wyldehed. 1496 Dives & Paup. (W. de W.) vi. xxiii. 271/2 Only god knoweth the greuoushede of dedely synne. |