Aggrieved means feeling wronged, hurt, or treated unfairly by someone or something. When you're aggrieved, you believe you've suffered an injustice and feel upset or resentful about it.

Imagine your teacher promises extra recess if the class behaves well all week, but then cancels it for a reason that seems unfair. You might feel aggrieved because you kept your part of the bargain but didn't get what was promised. Or suppose your friend accuses you of something you didn't do. The aggrieved feeling comes from knowing you're innocent but being blamed anyway.

The word often carries a sense of a legitimate complaint. An aggrieved person may feel genuinely mistreated or harmed based on real circumstances. When someone complains about losing a game fairly or simply not getting their way, that's disappointment or frustration, not aggrievement. In law, an aggrieved party is someone who has actually suffered harm and has the right to complain about it or seek a remedy.

You might hear someone speak in an aggrieved tone, with their voice conveying hurt and indignation. The feeling combines sadness at being wronged with a sense that justice requires someone to acknowledge the problem and fix it.