How to pronounce grievous
Say it like GREE-vus. Grievous has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GREE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce grievous. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- GREE
- vus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Grievous pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- GREESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- vusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of grievous
American and British speakers say grievous in essentially the same way: /ˈɡrivəs/ in the US and /ˈɡriːvəs/ in the UK.
British respelling: GREE-vus.
What does grievous mean?
- Causing grief, pain, or sorrow.
- Serious, grave, dire, or dangerous.
Where does grievous come from?
From Middle English grevous, from Anglo-Norman grevous, from Old French grever, from Latin gravō (“to burden”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying grievous
How do you pronounce grievous?
Say GREE-vus. The American pronunciation is /ˈɡrivəs/. In British English it is /ˈɡriːvəs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in grievous?
Grievous has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (GREE). Broken into parts: GREE · vus.
Do Americans and Brits say grievous the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈɡrivəs/ and the British form is /ˈɡriːvəs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.