greeted; greeting; greets
Synonyms of greet

transitive verb

1
: to address with expression of kind wishes upon meeting or arrival
greeted guests at the door
2
a
: to meet or react to in a specified manner
greeted him with boos
b
: to occur as a response to
apathy greeted the plan
3
: to be seen or experienced by
a chaotic scene greeted them
were greeted by snow upon arrival at the airport
greeter noun

greet

2 of 2

verb (2)

Examples of greet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
After greeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the US envoy was taken on a tour of a cathedral in central Kyiv damaged in Russian attacks. Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026 For hours each workday, Peter suits up in wilderness outfits and Disney vests, greeting guests while getting a peek behind the rides. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026 So how are the sailors spending their time, and who was there to greet them? Yasmin Vossoughian, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026 In the campaign video, Kelce arrives at New York’s iconic The Plaza Hotel and greets a few familiar A-list faces before heading to his room to relax with an adorable, fluffy white dog. Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for greet

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English greten, from Old English grētan; akin to Old English grǣtan to weep

Verb (2)

Middle English greten, from Old English grǣtan; akin to Old Norse grāta to weep

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of greet was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Greet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greet. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

greet

verb
ˈgrēt
1
: to address upon arrival or meeting with expressions of kind wishes
greeted guests at the door
2
: to meet or react to in a specified manner
greeted with cheers
3
: to appear or present itself to
a surprising sight greeted her eyes
greeter noun

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