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 grimmer
Contemporary Examples
But there was a grimmer side to the civilization: human sacrifice.
As the film progresses, you go from these beautiful desert vistas to a much darker, grimmer look.
‘Noah’ is a Global Warming Epic About the Battle Between Religion and Science, Says CinematographerMarlow Stern
March 27, 2014
But as Americans from the White House to ground zero rejoice, the Clinton's State Department sounded a grimmer tone.
Grimmer yet, many Libyans live at home well into their twenties, single.
Historical Examples
The darker, grimmer side of the student life was wholly hidden from Betty.
The Incomplete AmoristE. Nesbit
"Mrs. Grimmer is not at home," the servant said, in answer to her inquiry.
People of PositionStanley Portal Hyatt
When I went out to walk about the rectory garden, Grimmer touched his hat.
Kent Knowles: QuahaugJoseph C. Lincoln
The besiegers were gathering; the world was watching, expectant of the grimmer struggle.
The Long RollMary Johnston
There's Grimmer, the cashier and chief clerk o' the savin's-bank.
Sonnie-Boy's PeopleJames B. Connolly
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 grimmer
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.).