grim

[grim]

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.

grim

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• grimly adverb
• grimness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of grim¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of grim¹

Old English grimm; related to Old Norse grimmr, Old High German grimm savage, Greek khremizein to neigh

Example Sentences

Economic sentiment remained grim but held steady near recent levels in October as a federal shutdown hampered government functions and sidelined thousands of workers, according to the University of Michigan’s latest consumer survey.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Wilson doesn’t need these grim statistics to remind him of the stakes involved if HIV/AIDS funding gets cut.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“After The Hunt” begins with grim foreboding: the caption “It happened at Yale.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

His save percentage in these playoffs is even more grim.

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Still, a grim discussion between husband and wife about where they might live free from being made to feel “other” finds Nelson morosely observing, “It’s not just here. It’s everywhere.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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