My grandparents are so weak from/with/over grief they can barely walk.

[angliholic]

My grandparents are so weak from/with/over grief they can barely walk.



Do all of the bolded words fit in the above and mean about the same? If not, why not? Thanks.

 

[BobK]

My grandparents are so weak from/with/over grief they can barely walk.



Do all of the bolded words fit in the above and mean about the same? If not, why not? Thanks.

'With' is the only one that sounds right(ish) to me; the other two suggest a physical or emotion-provoking impact:

My grandparents are so weak from the hard winter that....

My grandparents are so upset over the death of their grandson that.... [Note - the death causes grief; 'over grief' doesn't work here.]

But even with sounds a bit odd; it suggests to me that grief is the main effect - compare 'sprinkled with snow', 'covered with cherry-blossom', 'smitten with love'.... I'd prefer something like 'My grandparents are so weakened by grief...'.

b

 

[angliholic]

'With' is the only one that sounds right(ish) to me; the other two suggest a physical or emotion-provoking impact:

My grandparents are so weak from the hard winter that.... Does this suggest a physical impact?

My grandparents are so upset over the death of their grandson that.... Does this suggest an emotion-proviking impact?
[Note - the death causes grief; 'over grief' doesn't work here.]

But even with sounds a bit odd; it suggests to me that grief is the main effect - compare 'sprinkled with snow', 'covered with cherry-blossom', 'smitten with love'.... I'd prefer something like 'My grandparents are so weakened by grief...'.

b

Thanks, Bobk.
By the way, is it correct to interpret the base sentence--My grandparents are so weak with grief they can barely walk--as the following?

My grandparents are so weak because of grief that they can hardly walk?