To come to grief

To come to grief
Grief Grief (gr[=e]f), n. [OE. grief, gref, OF. grief, gref, F. grief, L. gravis heavy; akin to Gr. bary`s, Skr. guru, Goth. ka['u]rus. Cf. {Barometer}, {Grave}, a., {Grieve}, {Gooroo.}] 1. Pain of mind on account of something in the past; mental suffering arising from any cause, as misfortune, loss of friends, misconduct of one's self or others, etc.; sorrow; sadness. [1913 Webster]

The mother was so afflicted at the loss of a fine boy, . . . that she died for grief of it. --Addison. [1913 Webster]

2. Cause of sorrow or pain; that which afficts or distresses; trial; grievance. [1913 Webster]

Be factious for redress of all these griefs. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

3. Physical pain, or a cause of it; malady. [R.] [1913 Webster]

This grief (cancerous ulcers) hastened the end of that famous mathematician, Mr. Harriot. --Wood. [1913 Webster]

{To come to grief}, to meet with calamity, accident, defeat, ruin, etc., causing grief; to turn out badly. [Colloq.]

Syn: Affiction; sorrow; distress; sadness; trial; grievance.

Usage: {Grief}, {Sorrow}, {Sadness}. Sorrow is the generic term; grief is sorrow for some definite cause -- one which commenced, at least, in the past; sadness is applied to a permanent mood of the mind. Sorrow is transient in many cases; but the grief of a mother for the loss of a favorite child too often turns into habitual sadness. ``Grief is sometimes considered as synonymous with sorrow; and in this case we speak of the transports of grief. At other times it expresses more silent, deep, and painful affections, such as are inspired by domestic calamities, particularly by the loss of friends and relatives, or by the distress, either of body or mind, experienced by those whom we love and value.'' --Cogan. See {Affliction}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • come to grief — {v. phr.} To have a bad accident or disappointment; meet trouble or ruin; end badly; wreck; fail. * /Bill came to grief learning to drive a car./ * /Nick s hopes for a new house came to grief when the house he was building burned down./ * /The… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • come to grief — {v. phr.} To have a bad accident or disappointment; meet trouble or ruin; end badly; wreck; fail. * /Bill came to grief learning to drive a car./ * /Nick s hopes for a new house came to grief when the house he was building burned down./ * /The… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • come to grief — ► come to grief have an accident; meet with disaster. Main Entry: ↑grief …   English terms dictionary

  • come to grief — 1) to be unsuccessful This is a ground where Rangers have come to grief in the past. 2) to have an accident The collection almost came to grief recently when a water pipe burst …   English dictionary

  • come to grief — verb To have a disastrous outcome. These elves and half elves and wizards, they would come to grief perhaps. (J.R.R. Tolkien) …   Wiktionary

  • To come to grief — Come Come, v. i. [imp. {Came}; p. p. {Come}; p. pr & vb. n. {Coming}.] [OE. cumen, comen, AS. cuman; akin to OS.kuman, D. komen, OHG. queman, G. kommen, Icel. koma, Sw. komma, Dan. komme, Goth. giman, L. venire (gvenire), Gr. ? to go, Skr. gam.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • come to grief — FAIL, meet with disaster, miscarry, go wrong, go awry, fall through, fall flat, founder, come to nothing, come to naught; informal come unstuck, come a cropper, flop, go phut; Brit. informal go pear shaped. → grief …   Useful english dictionary

  • come\ to\ grief — v. phr. To have a bad accident or disappointment; meet trouble or ruin; end badly; wreck; fail. Bill came to grief learning to drive a car. Nick s hopes for a new house came to grief when the house he was building burned down. The fishing boat… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • come to grief — have a bad accident or disappointment He has recently come to much grief because of his son s problems with the police …   Idioms and examples

  • come to grief —    If someone or something comes to grief, they either have an accident, are destroyed or end in failure.     Their plans for a golf course came to grief when it was decided to build a motorway …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

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