greet
1 Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
-
to meet or receive with expressions of gladness or welcome
-
to send a message of friendship to
-
to receive in a specified manner
her remarks were greeted by silence
-
to become apparent to
the smell of bread greeted him
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
- greeter noun
Etymology
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He was waiting with colleagues in the back of the public meeting room during most of the afternoon, ready with friendly greetings for people as they passed by.
From Los Angeles Times
Artisans in white coats greeted guests at the Tod's fashion show in Milan Friday, crafting the Made in Italy leather and needlework items for which the company -- and country -- is renowned.
From Barron's
“I’ve never been to an establishment where the owner comes out and greets you and makes you feel welcome like you’re family,” says Jackson.
From Los Angeles Times
After a warm greeting, he told me that Pope Leo XIV was appointing me archbishop of New York.
When the horses drew up to the graveyard’s towering iron gates, she descended the carriage steps, and greeted the cemetery’s watchman.
From Literature
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.