French word

grief

Pronunciation

IPA/gʁijɛf/

Meaning

  • masculine noungrievance

Example

J'ai un grief contre lui.

I have a grievance against him.

Illustration for grief (grievance)

More examples

Elle a exprimé son grief à la direction.

She expressed her grievance to management.

Core concept

A lasting sense of being wronged that takes the form of an expressed complaint.

Common phrases

  • exprimer son grief

    to express one's grievance

  • avoir un grief contre quelqu'un

    to have a grievance against someone

Similar words

mécontentement: The mental state of not feeling satisfied.
reproche: A critical remark or attitude about another person's conduct.
plainte: A complaint communicated to someone or submitted to an office.

Definition in French

Plainte ou ressentiment exprimé envers une personne ou une situation, souvent formulé comme une plainte officielle ou morale.

Word origin

The noun grief derives from Old French and is related to grever, from Latin gravare and gravis, with the idea of making something heavy or burdensome.

Usage tips

  • The usual construction is avoir un grief contre quelqu'un, with contre introducing the person or side blamed for the grievance.

Other meanings

  • complaintnoun
  • grudgenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word