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Prepositions after adjectives

Aggrieved by or aggrieved at?

Both aggrieved by and aggrieved at are used in English. By usually points to the cause or person responsible, while at often points to the situation or action.

Quick answer

Choosing between aggrieved by and aggrieved at

Use aggrieved by for the person, decision, or action causing resentment. Use aggrieved at for the situation or behaviour that causes offence or unfairness.

Staff felt aggrieved by the decision.
Residents were aggrieved at the sudden changes.
She sounded aggrieved by his remarks.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
aggrieved by + cause

Naming the source of resentment

By commonly introduces the person, action, or decision causing grievance.

He felt aggrieved by the accusation.
Workers were aggrieved by the pay cuts.
2
aggrieved at + situation

Reacting to an event or condition

At often focuses on the situation or behaviour causing offence.

She seemed aggrieved at the unfair treatment.
Many voters were aggrieved at the delays.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
aggrieved by
They were aggrieved by the company's response.
focus on the source or cause of resentment
aggrieved at
He felt aggrieved at the criticism.
focus on the situation or behaviour causing offence
aggrieved with
They were dissatisfied with the result.
with is more natural with dissatisfied than with aggrieved
aggrieved over
Residents were aggrieved over the closure.
over is also possible in some contexts to indicate the issue

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using aggrieved with

Aggrieved is not usually followed by with.

✕ She was aggrieved with the decision. ✓ She was aggrieved by the decision.

Choosing the wrong focus

By often highlights the source, while at highlights the situation or event.

✓ He felt aggrieved at the remarks and by the manager who made them.

Confusing aggrieved with angry

Aggrieved suggests a sense of unfair treatment, not just anger.

✓ Employees felt aggrieved by the policy changes.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The players were aggrieved ___ the referee's decision.
2. Residents felt aggrieved ___ the sudden rule changes.
3. She felt aggrieved ___ the criticism from management.

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Frequently asked questions

Are aggrieved by and aggrieved at both correct?

Yes. Both are standard, but they place attention on slightly different aspects of the grievance.

What does aggrieved mean?

It means feeling unfairly treated, offended, or wronged.

Can I say aggrieved with?

It is not the usual pattern. Use aggrieved by or aggrieved at instead.

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