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definitions

grim

[grim]
See more synonyms for grim on Thesaurus.com
adjective, grim·mer, grim·mest.
  1. stern and admitting of no appeasement or compromise: grim determination; grim necessity.
  2. of a sinister or ghastly character; repellent: a grim joke.
  3. having a harsh, surly, forbidding, or morbid air: a grim man but a just one; a grim countenance.
  4. fierce, savage, or cruel: War is a grim business.

Origin of grim

before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German grimm, Old Norse grimmr
Related formsgrim·ly, adverbgrim·ness, noun

Synonyms for grim

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1. harsh, unyielding. 2. frightful, horrible, dire, appalling, horrid, grisly, gruesome, hideous, dreadful. 3. severe, stern, hard. 4. ferocious, ruthless.

Antonyms for grim

1. lenient. 2. attractive. 3. gentle.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for grimly

powerfully, brutally, firmly, gratingly, grimly

Examples from the Web for grimly

Contemporary Examples of grimly

Historical Examples of grimly

  • The Bines what-not in the sitting-room was grimly orthodox in its equipment.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • "You will find out what I am going to do," said Ben, grimly.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • "You would only call once," he said very gently, yet most grimly.

    Within the Law

    Marvin Dana

  • "You can see for yourself," he said grimly to the dumfounded magnate.

    Within the Law

    Marvin Dana

  • "Have to be higher than that," the Inspector commented, grimly.

    Within the Law

    Marvin Dana

British Dictionary definitions for grimly

grim

adjective grimmer or grimmest
  1. stern; resolutegrim determination
  2. harsh or formidable in manner or appearance
  3. harshly ironic or sinistergrim laughter
  4. cruel, severe, or ghastlya grim accident
  5. archaic, or poetic fiercea grim warrior
  6. informal unpleasant; disagreeable
  7. hold on like grim death to hold very firmly or resolutely
Derived Formsgrimly, adverbgrimness, noun

Word Origin for grim

Old English grimm; related to Old Norse grimmr, Old High German grimm savage, Greek khremizein to neigh
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for grimly

Old English grimlic (adj.) "fierce, bloodthirsty, cruel," grimlice (adv.); see grim + -ly. Cf. Middle Dutch grimmelijc, Old Norse grimmligr.

grim

adj.

Old English grimm "fierce, cruel, savage, dire, painful," from Proto-Germanic *grimmaz (cf. Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Old High German, German grimm, Old Norse grimmr, Swedish grym "fierce, furious"), from PIE *ghrem- "angry," perhaps imitative of the sound of rumbling thunder (cf. Greek khremizein "to neigh," Old Church Slavonic vuzgrimeti "to thunder," Russian gremet' "thunder").

A weaker word now than once it was; sense of "dreary, gloomy" first recorded late 12c. It also had a verb form in Old English, grimman (class III strong verb; past tense gramm, p.p. grummen). Old English also had a noun, grima "goblin, specter," perhaps also a proper name or attribute-name of a god, hence its appearance as an element in place names.

Grim reaper as a figurative way to say "death" is attested by 1847 (the association of grim and death goes back at least to 17c.). A Middle English expression for "have recourse to harsh measures" was to wend the grim tooth (early 13c.).

grim

n.

"spectre, bogey, haunting spirit," 1620s, from grim (adj.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper