greet

¹

[ greet ]

verb (used with object)

1. to address with some form of salutation; welcome.

   Synonyms: accost, hail

2. to meet or receive:

   to be greeted by cheering crowds; to greet a proposal with boos and hisses.

3. to manifest itself to:

   Music greeted his ear as he entered the salon.

verb (used without object)

1. Obsolete. to give salutations on meeting.

greet

²

[ greet ]

verb (used without object)

1. to grieve; lament; cry.

verb (used with object)

1. to lament; bewail.

greet

¹

/ ɡriːt /

verb

1. intr to weep; lament

noun

1. weeping; lamentation

greet

²

/ ɡriːt /

verb

1. to meet or receive with expressions of gladness or welcome
2. to send a message of friendship to
3. to receive in a specified manner

   her remarks were greeted by silence

4. to become apparent to

   the smell of bread greeted him

Other Words From

• greeter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of greet¹

before 900; Middle English greten, Old English grētan; cognate with German grüssen

Origin of greet²

before 900; Middle English grete, Old English grǣtan; cognate with ON grāta, Gothic gretan

Word History and Origins

Origin of greet¹

from Old English grētan, northern dialect variant of grætan; compare Old Norse grāta, Middle High German grazen

Origin of greet²

Old English grētan; related to Old High German gruozzen to address

Example Sentences

Walking up the main staircase you’re greeted by portraits of Mikhail Gorbachev, Pablo Neruda, and, of course, George Washington.

From Washington Blade

When those powers emerge, she is greeted with horror by society.

From Vox

In many cities, though, rank-and-file police officers are greeting these efforts with an apparent pullback.

From ProPublica

Jon Landau, the producer of both Titanic and Avatar, greeted us as we entered the typical American conference room, with the air-conditioning turned to “Arctic” and thick blue carpet that muted our footsteps.

From Fortune

So we all greeted the architects’ arrival this week as a sign that things are finally starting to nudge back in the direction of normal.

From Fortune

"That was crazy," Lynn Jenkins of Kansas muttered to another member as she walked to greet Boehner.

From The Daily Beast

Her brother Mulbah Sirleaf said Dedee could not be there to greet her child because her “heart was hurting.”

From The Daily Beast

Those are the first words that slip out of my mouth when I greet Andrew Garfield at a hotel suite in Downtown Toronto.

From The Daily Beast

Women parade in front of visitors, kiss them on the cheek, and greet them with “Fique à vontade” (Make yourself comfortable).

From The Daily Beast

Shaw put himself right alongside the line and took a minute to shake hands and greet each delegate.

From The Daily Beast

At the store he would never have given in, but he was not accustomed to hearing so loud a murmur of approval greet the opposition.

From Project Gutenberg

"Fine, Mr. Glavis," replied Mildred's mother, arising to greet him for the second time that day.

From Project Gutenberg

"I just happened to be passin' and thought I'd drop in for a spell," he said, with a profound bow to Mary, who arose to greet him.

From Project Gutenberg

On the arrival of the court many of the old Creole families hastened to the capital to greet their sovereigns.

From Project Gutenberg

The young doctor was there, too, as were Mrs. Tip Pulsifer and a half dozen others, a goodly company to greet us.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• accost
• acknowledge
• address
• approach
• attend
• embrace
• hail
• meet
• receive
• salute
• shake hands
• stop