grim
- stern and admitting of no appeasement or compromise: grim determination; grim necessity.
- of a sinister or ghastly character; repellent: a grim joke.
- having a harsh, surly, forbidding, or morbid air: a grim man but a just one; a grim countenance.
- fierce, savage, or cruel: War is a grim business.
Origin of grim
Synonyms
See more synonyms for grim on Thesaurus.comAntonyms
Examples from the Web for grimly
Contemporary Examples
Walmart is actually defying the logic embraced so grimly by Sears, Kmart, and millions of citizen-shoppers.
Savage Coast uses this technique to great effect, especially as the novel builds to its determined, grimly triumphant dénouement.
Libertarians, of course, have grimly wished a pox on both their houses of Congress.
Ross Douthat has a grimly ironic take on sequestration: Yes it's dumb, but so are we.
In the Financial Times today, business leader Mortimer Zuckerman grimly summarizes the crisis in American jobs and wages.
Historical Examples
The Bines what-not in the sitting-room was grimly orthodox in its equipment.
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
"You will find out what I am going to do," said Ben, grimly.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
"You would only call once," he said very gently, yet most grimly.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
"You can see for yourself," he said grimly to the dumfounded magnate.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
"Have to be higher than that," the Inspector commented, grimly.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
grim
- stern; resolutegrim determination
- harsh or formidable in manner or appearance
- harshly ironic or sinistergrim laughter
- cruel, severe, or ghastlya grim accident
- archaic, or poetic fiercea grim warrior
- informal unpleasant; disagreeable
- hold on like grim death to hold very firmly or resolutely
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for grimly
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.).