v. Obs. Forms: α. 4 engreve, (Sc. engrief(f), 4–5 engreive (Sc. engrew), 6 engreue, -eeue, 6–7 engreve, 6– engrieve. β. 4 ingreve, 6 ingreeue, -ieue. [ad. OF. engrever:—L. ingravāre, f. in- (see IN-) + grav-is heavy; cf. EN-1 and GRIEVE.]
1. trans. To cause grief or pain to; to annoy, hurt, vex. Also absol. To do harm, be troublesome.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XI. 504. Myscheif … that suld swa engreiff, That na hys vorschip suld thame releif. Ibid., XIII. 210. The scottis archeris … Ingrevand [v.r. engrewand] thame so gretumly … That thai vayndist a litell we. Ibid., XX. 200. For it, he said, mycht nocht releif, And mycht [thaim-self] gretly engreif.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 3444. Yit no thyng engreveth mee.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VIII. xxxv. 190. He þat mast engrewyt þere … Suld have þe grettast Prys, wyth þi Ðat he engrewyt honestly.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, X. xiii. 19. Bot pryncipally Mezentyus all engrevit.
1626. Bacon, Sylva (1651), § 828. Aches, and Hurts, and Cornes, do Engrieve, either towards Raine, or towards Frost.
2. To make grievous; to represent as grievous; to aggravate.
1535. Cromwell, Let. Gardiner, in Burnet, Collect., 460. In which part ye shall somewhat engrieve the matter.
a. 1555. Bp. Gardiner, in Foxe, A. & M. (1563), 734 b. To engreue it to be an importable burden.
1592. Conspir. Pretended Ref., 40. Seeking also to engreeue their faultes.
3. To make a grievance of; to take as a ground of accusation or reproach.
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron., III. 1111/2. Mine owne confession is ingreeued against me. Ibid., III. 1114/1. I am sorie to ingreeue anie other mans doings.
Hence Engrieved ppl. a.
1591. Spenser, Vis. World’s Van., 159. I gan in my engrieued brest To scorne all difference of great and small.
