What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Lament vs Grieve - What's the difference?

lament | grieve |

In intransitive terms the difference between lament and grieve

is that lament is to express grief; to weep or wail; to mourn while grieve is to experience grief.

In transitive terms the difference between lament and grieve

is that lament is to feel great sorrow or regret; to bewail while grieve is to submit or file a grievance.

lament

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • An expression of grief, suffering, or sadness.
  • A song expressing grief.
  • Derived terms

    * (l) (rare)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To express grief; to weep or wail; to mourn.
  • * Bible, John xvi. 20
  • Ye shall weep and lament , but the world shall rejoice.
  • To feel great sorrow or regret; to bewail.
  • * 2014 , , " Southampton hammer eight past hapless Sunderland in barmy encounter", The Guardian , 18 October 2014:
  • By the end, Sunderland were lucky to lose by the same scoreline Northampton Town suffered against Southampton, in 1921. The Sunderland manager, Gus Poyet, lamented that it was “the most embarrassed I’ve ever been on a football pitch, without a doubt”.
  • * Dryden
  • One laughed at follies, one lamented crimes.

    Synonyms

    * bewail

    Anagrams

    * * * * ----

    grieve

    English

    Etymology 1

    From the conjugated forms of (etyl) .

    Verb

    (griev)
  • To cause sorrow or distress to.
  • * Bible, Eph. iv. 30
  • Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.
  • * Cowper
  • The maidens grieved themselves at my concern.
  • To feel very sad about; to mourn; to sorrow for.
  • to grieve one's fate
  • To experience grief.
  • (archaic) To harm.
  • To submit or file a grievance.
  • * 2009 D'Amico, Rob , Editor, Texas Teacher , published by Texas AFT (affiliate of American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO); "Austin classified employees gain due process rights", April 2009, p14:
  • Even if the executive director rules against the employee on appeal, the employee can still grieve the termination to the superintendent followed by an appeal to the [...] Board of Trustees.
    Derived terms
    * grieved * griever * grievingly

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A governor of a town or province.
  • (chiefly, Scotland) A manager or steward, e.g. of a farm.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
  • Their children were horsewhipped by the grieve .
    Derived terms
    * (l)

    Anagrams

    * English ergative verbs ----