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
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.
Xi walked out by himself to greet Trump with a handshake, not the “big, fat hug” Trump earlier said he was expecting.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
When Dr. Becky says to greet guilt that creeps in for not knowing this stuff, I do: “Hi, Guilt.”
From Slate • May 10, 2026
“How will they greet one another? With a handshake, a hug or a scowl? These are the dramas that the political nerds like myself love to look for,” Sadhwani said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
To mark the occasion, representatives of the US government, the City of Miami, and the Venezuelan ambassador to Washington, Felix Plasencia, will greet passengers before the flight departs Gate D55.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
“Ahwoo! I mean, Ah-choo! Oh, I am all confused! I simply cannot greet Fredrick’s mother with the three of you standing at the front door as if you belonged here. Ah-choo!”
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.