Meredith Grey's Relationship History: A Complete Guide to the Grey's Anatomy Lead's Love Life From Season 1 to Now

Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd

Meredith's one-night stand with a "guy in a bar" at the start of the pilot episode turns out to be a decade-long love story with Derek Shepherd, the chief neurosurgeon at the hospital where she is an intern. Although the two experience a tumultuous on-and-off relationship, they share some of the series' most heartfelt moments: a house full of candles, an elevator love letter and a post-it note wedding.

However, it wouldn’t be Grey’s Anatomy without its share of intense drama, including Derek rescuing Meredith from a near-drowning, Meredith witnessing Derek get shot and a shared near-fatal experience in a plane crash that killed some of their family and friends.

Meredith and Derek officially get married in season 7 and go on to have three children: Zola, Bailey and Ellis. But, their love story takes a tragic turn in season 11, when Derek is killed in a car accident, leaving Meredith to navigate years of grief and loss.

Steve Murphy

In season 2, Meredith meets Steve Murphy (Sunkrish Bala) at a bar and sleeps with him that night in what she thinks would be the last time she sees him. However, Meredith is shocked when he reappears the next day at the hospital still erect. Ultimately, a neuro consult by Derek reveals that Steve has a tumor in his spine, pushing on the nerve and causing the erection — leading Meredith’s ex-boyfriend to perform surgery on her one-night stand.

George O’Malley

From the moment they enter their internship class together, George O'Malley (T.R. Knight) is infatuated with Meredith, who only sees him as a friend. However, after a particularly bad day at work, George confesses his feelings, leading Meredith to reconsider her perspective on him. They end up sleeping together in season 2, but during their intimate moment, Meredith suddenly burst into tears, ending their one-night-fling and putting a rift in their friendship.

Finn Dandridge

In season 2, Meredith starts dating Finn Dandridge (Chris O’Donnell), her dog’s vet, in an attempt to move on from Derek. She even brings him to the hospital prom, where she finds herself in an exam room with Derek, faced with the undeniable chemistry between them. This situation ignites a complicated back-and-forth love triangle between Meredith, Derek and Finn. Ultimately, Derek tells Meredith he is letting her go to be with Finn, but she chooses to end things with Finn in season 3, deciding to be with Derek instead.

William Thorpe

Following Derek’s death, William Thorpe (Scott Elrod) is the first person Meredith gets romantically involved with in season 12. Despite his repeated attempts to pursue her, she is still dealing with her grief. They eventually sleep together, but the next morning, Meredith panics and kicks him out of her house. William expresses that he would wait for her, but Meredith never goes back to him.

Nathan Riggs

Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson) and Meredith connect in season 12 through their shared experience of losing loved ones. They start dating, finding comfort in each other’s similar emotional struggles. However, their relationship ends when Nathan discovers that his fiancée, Megan Hunt — whom he had believed was dead — is actually alive.

With an understanding that she would do anything to have Derek back if she could, Meredith doesn't hesitate in telling him to go after Megan. Nathan then resigns from Grey Sloan Memorial and moves to Malibu to start a new life with Megan in season 14.

Andrew Deluca

At Jo Wilson (Camilla Ludington) and Alex Karev’s (Justin Chambers) wedding at the end of season 14, a drunken Dr. Andrew Deluca (Giacomo Gianniotti) impulsively kisses Meredith, though she rejected his advances despite having previously had romantic dreams about him. Over time, Andrew develops feelings for Meredith but doesn't express them until he notices a possible romantic connection between her and the head of orthopedic surgery, Atticus Lincoln. After some uncertainty and back-and-forth, Meredith and Andrew share a kiss on Valentine’s Day and soon begin dating.

Their relationship is tumultuous. At one point, they exchange “I love yous,” but their relationship is tested when Andrew takes the fall for a medical insurance fraud scheme Meredith had committed, which nearly costs him his medical license. The ultimate turning point comes when Meredith tells him he was acting like his father, who had a history of bipolar disorder, after observing Andrew's increasingly erratic behavior — leading to their season 16 breakup.

Though no longer romantically involved, they remained friends until Andrew tragically died after being stabbed while trying to expose a sex trafficker in season 17.

John

In season 15, Meredith and John (Josh Radnor) meet on a blind date, although they were both supposed to be on dates with other people. They realize they are on the wrong date halfway through the meal, but instead of leaving, Meredith rearranges her schedule to prolong it. They seem to be hitting it off until John accidentally insults her by saying he dislikes kids and finds single mothers desperate, which leads her to abruptly end their date.

Atticus “Link” Lincoln

Also in season 15, Atticus “Link” Lincoln (Chris Carmack) finds himself in the middle of a brief love triangle as Meredith grapples with her feelings for Andrew. After several episodes of playful flirtation and chemistry between Atticus and Meredith, he asks her out, and they make plans to meet for dinner on Valentine’s Day. However, Meredith ultimately stands him up at the restaurant, as she is off sharing a romantic moment with Andrew.

Cormac Hayes

Cormac Hayes (Richard Flood) and Meredith were the couple that never was. Sent to Grey Sloan Memorial in season 16 as a “gift” from her best friend, Cristina Yang, Cormac (otherwise known as “McWidow”) bonds with Meredith over their shared experiences as widowers and single parents. However, just as their connection seems to be deepening, Meredith falls into a COVID-induced coma, pausing any potential romance. Eventually, he resigns from the hospital to focus on his sons, exiting the show in season 18.

Nick Marsh

Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman), a transplant surgeon who later became a residency director, is first introduced at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital as a patient in season 14 of Grey's Anatomy. Even during his hospital stay, sparks flew between him and Meredith as he flirted with her from his hospital bed.

Their romance rekindles in season 18 while Meredith balances her time between Seattle and Minnesota, where Nick is also working. The couple enter a long-distance relationship when Meredith returns to Seattle, but Nick later begins working at Grey Sloan Memorial, bringing them closer again.

Despite their on-again, off-again relationship, Meredith eventually accepts a job in Boston, and Nick later follows her there to continue their relationship.