v. Forms: 4–5 agreue, agreve, 5–6 aggreue, 6 agreeue, aggreeue, agrieve, 6– aggrieve. [a. OFr. agreve-r to render more heavy or severe:—L. aggravā-re: f. ag- = ad- to + gravā-re to load. In 14th c. the Fr. and in 15th c. the Eng. began, after L., to be written agg- and finally the Fr. was changed to aggraver. See also AGGRAVATE, AGGRAVE and AGGREGE.]

1

  1.  trans. To bear heavily upon; to bring grief or trouble to; to grieve, distress, afflict, oppress. Now rarely used exc. in the passive To be aggrieved: to be injuriously affected, to have a grievance or cause of grief.

2

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron., 323. Of þat ilk outrage þe fest þam sore agreued.

3

c. 1425.  Wyntoun, Cron., IX. Pref. 38. Elde me masteris wyth hir Brevis Ilke day me sare aggrevis.

4

c. 1450.  Lonelich, Grail, lii. 343. Agreved was he sore Of tydynges that him comen thore.

5

1514.  Pace, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 37, I. 110. Oon thynge doethe aggreve me ryght sore.

6

c. 1540.  trans. Pol. Verg., Eng. Hist. (1846), I. 199. They aggreeved the inhabitantes with infinite mischeves.

7

1670.  G. H., trans. Hist. Cardinals, III. II. 289. They shall not permit the Cardinals to be aggrieved by any body.

8

a. 1716.  South, Serm., viii. 11 (T.). Those pains … are afflictive just so long as they actually possess the part which they aggrieve.

9

1849.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 16. Both were alike aggrieved by the tyranny of a bad king.

10

  † 2.  intr. To afflict oneself, to grieve, to feel grief. Obs.

11

1559.  Mirrour for Mag., 442 (T.). My heart aggriev’d that such a wretch should reign.

12

  † 3.  trans. To make more grave or serious; to aggravate, exaggerate. (= AGGREGE 3, 5.) Obs.

13

1524.  State Pap. Hen. VIII., IV. 154. Agrieving somewhat the daungier whiche might ensue.

14

1541.  Elyot, Im. Gov., 44. But yet the treason dooen also to me, aggreeueth the trespasse.

15

1562.  Atkinson, in Strype’s Ann. Ref., xxvi. (1709), 265. Let us therefore never go about to aggrieve the matter, or make it worse than it is.

16

1590.  Southwell, Marie Magd. Funeral Teares, 195. Want of faith was agrieved with want of all goodnesse.

17