grim

American  

[grim] / grɪm /

adjective

grimmer, grimmest

1. stern and admitting of no appeasement or compromise.

   grim determination; grim necessity.

   Synonyms:

   unyielding, harsh

   Antonyms:

   lenient

2. of a sinister or ghastly character.

   a grim joke.

   Synonyms:

   dreadful, hideous, gruesome, grisly, horrid, appalling, dire, horrible, frightful

   Antonyms:

   attractive

3. having a harsh, surly, forbidding, or morbid air.

   a grim man but a just one; a grim countenance.

   Synonyms:

   hard, stern, severe

   Antonyms:

   gentle

4. fierce, savage, or cruel.

   War is a grim business.

   Synonyms:

   ruthless, ferocious

5. unpleasant or repellant.

   Scrubbing toilets is a grim task that no one likes doing.

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grim British  

/ ɡrɪm /

adjective

1. stern; resolute

   grim determination

2. harsh or formidable in manner or appearance

3. harshly ironic or sinister

   grim laughter

4. cruel, severe, or ghastly

   a grim accident

5. archaic fierce

   a grim warrior

6. informal unpleasant; disagreeable

7. to hold very firmly or resolutely

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Other Word Forms

• grimly adverb
• grimness noun

Etymology

Origin of grim

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German grimm, Old Norse grimmr

Explanation

Things that are gloomy, stark, ghastly, and somber are grim. Sunshine, puppies, and rainbows are not grim; zombies, reapers, and mummies are grim. Less scary things like drizzly, foggy days can also be called grim. Two famous uses of the adjective grim are the Grim Reaper and Grimm's Fairy Tales. Mr. Reaper shows up in movies and books wearing a long, hooded black cape and carrying a scythe, or long-handled blade used, in less grim circumstances, for mowing grass and reaping grain: he represents death. The real-life German brothers wrote some bone-chilling tales under their own name, Grimm, meaning "cruel, fierce," which is related to the English word grim. Modern grim things include crime-drama images of dead bodies and characters in horror movies.

Example Sentences

McMau’s attempts to amplify the story’s grim authenticity occasionally fall flat.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

On Wednesday, Rep. David Scott of Georgia joined a grim but growing trend among sitting members of Congress: He died.

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2026

Accidental explosions are a grim routine in India's fireworks industry, recurring with troubling regularity - most visibly around Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, which produces much of the country's supply.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Even given the grim mortality statistics of their day, some of the Founders suffered disproportionately from family health challenges, and these personal tragedies likely made them receptive to medical innovations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

He is staring out at the ship, his face set in grim lines.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

Related Words

• dogged
• ferocious
• fierce
• merciless
• relentless
• resolute
• ruthless
• unrelenting