grisly

[ griz-lee ]

/ ˈgrɪz li /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for grisly on Thesaurus.com

adjective, gris·li·er, gris·li·est.

causing a shudder or feeling of horror; horrible; gruesome: a grisly murder.

formidable; grim: a grisly countenance.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Origin of grisly

before 1150; Middle English; Old English grislīc horrible; cognate with Old High German grīsenlīh

OTHER WORDS FROM grisly

gris·li·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH grisly

grisly , gristly, grizzled, grizzly

Words nearby grisly

grisette, gris-gris, Grisham, Grishun, griskin, grisly, Gris-Nez, grison, Grisons, grissini, grist

Other definitions for grisly (2 of 2)

grisly²

[ gris-lee ]

/ ˈgrɪs li /

adjective, gris·li·er, gris·li·est.Obsolete.

an obsolete spelling of gristly.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use grisly in a sentence

Their only solace on a night when they tacked another grisly defeat — No.
With 19th consecutive loss, Orioles close in on an inglorious MLB mark|Jon Meoli|August 25, 2021|Washington Post
A new analysis of that unfortunate man’s partial skeleton, excavated around a century ago at a village cemetery near Japan’s Seto Inland Sea, has unveiled that grisly scenario.
A partial skeleton reveals the world’s oldest known shark attack|Bruce Bower|July 23, 2021|Science News
A Baltimore police officer is facing charges after prosecutors say the body of his teenage stepson was found “secreted” in a wall in his home and he tried to steal a fellow officer’s gun as authorities made the grisly discovery.
Baltimore Cop Stashed 15-Year-Old Stepson’s Body in Wall: Prosecutor|Allison Quinn|July 8, 2021|The Daily Beast
This grisly Spanish teen drama has been renewed for fourth and fifth seasons.
TV’s queer explosion|Joey DiGuglielmo|March 10, 2021|Washington Blade

In her view, Carrillo’s grisly narrative is a product of the military’s refusal to adequately address the issue of radicalization within the ranks.
The Boogaloo Bois Have Guns, Criminal Records and Military Training. Now They Want to Overthrow the Government.|by A.C. Thompson, ProPublica, and Lila Hassan and Karim Hajj, FRONTLINE|February 1, 2021|ProPublica
He admitted responsibility without hesitation, and in meticulous, grisly detail.
The Myth of the Central Park Five|Edward Conlon|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These grisly images drew a huge audience, and allowed that audience to indulge in righteous indignation.
How the Media Failed to Nail the NFL|Steve Almond|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the wake of such a grisly screw up, it is tempting to play the blame game.
Mary Fallin’s Killer Fiasco|Michelle Cottle|May 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Moreover, Saudi Arabia and Iran have notoriously carried out even the more grisly penalties of shariah.
Brunei Returns to the Stoning Age|Jay Michaelson|April 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The grisly footage obtained by BFMTV shows the French-speaking fighters arriving at a scene splayed with bodies.
French and Belgian Jihadists Boast About the Syrians They Slaughter|Tracy McNicoll|March 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pit your shovel in here an' lift this pickle, an' no' stand there gapin' like a grisly ghost at the door o' hell!
The Underworld|James C. Welsh
This appears in several witch trials and I think in Law's Memorials, that delightful storehouse of the quaint and grisly.
Masterpieces of Mystery, Vol. 1 (of 4)|Various
Then up rose two long spears; spears topped with grisly, rounded objects.
Cursed|George Allan England
Rw-no-way-wh-krah, the Loose Pipe-stem; a brave (full length); eagle head-dress, shirt of grisly bears skin.
Adventures of the Ojibbeway and Ioway Indians in England, France, and Belgium; Vol. I (of 2)|George Catlin
Pa-ris-ka-ro-pa, the Two Crows; with a handsome shirt, ornamented with ermine, and necklace of grisly bears claws.
Adventures of the Ojibbeway and Ioway Indians in England, France, and Belgium; Vol. I (of 2)|George Catlin

British Dictionary definitions for grisly (1 of 2)

grisly¹

/ (ˈɡrɪzlɪ) /

adjective -lier or -liest

causing horror or dread; gruesome

Derived forms of grisly

grisliness, noun

Word Origin for grisly

Old English grislic; related to Old Frisian grislik, Old High German grīsenlīh

undefined grisly

See grizzly

British Dictionary definitions for grisly (2 of 2)