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

He said the situation was grim and sought funds from the federal government to deal with the crisis.

From BBC

California’s court fight to reign in the president’s use of troops in Los Angeles now hangs on a 19th century law with grim origins and a Spaghetti Western-sounding moniker.

From Los Angeles Times

Before Saturday’s grim discovery, this year’s Burning Man was punctuated by unexpected joy when a 36-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl.

From Los Angeles Times

Their supporters enraged, their respective boards under siege, it's hard to remember a time when both clubs were in such a grim place at the same time.

From BBC

“A suspected diagnosis keeps the crack in the door open, but this was grim,” he recalls in a video interview from his home in Glasgow, Scotland.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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