Word forms: comparative grislier, superlative grisliest
adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Something that is grisly is extremely unpleasant, and usually involves death and violence.
...two horrifically grisly murders.
...a grizzly crime.
Synonyms: gruesome, shocking, terrible, awful More Synonyms of grisly
grisly in British English1
(ˈɡrɪzlɪ)
adjectiveWord forms: -lier or -liest
causing horror or dread; gruesome
▶ USAGE See note at grizzly
Derived forms
grisliness (ˈgrisliness)
noun
Word origin
Old English grislic; related to Old Frisian grislik, Old High German grīsenlīh
grisly in British English2
(ˈɡrɪzlɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-lies
obsolete a variant spelling of grizzly
grisly in American English
(ˈgrɪzli)
adjectiveWord forms: ˈgrislier or ˈgrisliest
terrifying; horrible; ghastly
Derived forms
grisliness (ˈgrisliness)
noun
Word origin
ME grislich < OE grislic (akin to OFris grislyk) < base of a-grisan, to shudder with fear, prob. < IE *ghrei-: see grime
Examples of 'grisly' in a sentence
grisly
The death map is grisly and a little depressing.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You will need an iron stomach for this slick but grisly medical horror.
The Sun (2010)
Miles makes a grisly discovery on the beach.
The Sun (2009)
It has its wild and demonic forms and can sink to an almost grisly horror and shuddering.
Greeley, Andrew M. Sociology and Religion: A Collection of Readings (1995)
Few were surprised at the grisly scene found in the morning.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Be sure you can cope with some grisly details.
The Sun (2014)
Lead characters tend to meet grisly deaths.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It was a grisly death but one that indulged his fantasies.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Jurors were shown grisly crime scene pictures including one of the bottom of a fridge caked with dried blood.
The Sun (2014)
And witnesses took photos of the grisly scene with their phones before posting them on the social network site.
The Sun (2012)
Police were called to the scene after workers made the grisly discovery on Wednesday morning.
The Sun (2012)
This gleefully grisly British horror contains some gruesome moments.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We all know what to expect, yet we dread to hear the grisly details.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Ground staff called in cops after making the grisly discovery on Thursday.
The Sun (2013)
Will he become the 31st police officer in the show's history to meet a grisly end?
The Sun (2010)
Jigsaw, the original baddie in this grisly horror series, is now dead.
The Sun (2009)
I don't think people really mind about that sort of thing unless there's been a really grisly murder on the property.
The Sun (2014)
In other languages
grisly
British English: grisly ADJECTIVE
Something that is grisly is extremely unpleasant, and usually involves death and violence.
...two horrifically grisly murders.
American English: grisly
Brazilian Portuguese: horrendo
Chinese: 恐怖的
European Spanish: horrendo
French: macabre
German: grässlich
Italian: orrido
Japanese: ぞっとするような
Korean: 끔찍한
European Portuguese: horrendo
Latin American Spanish: horrendo
Chinese translation of 'grisly'
grisly
(ˈɡrɪzlɪ)
adj
[death, murder]恐怖的 (kǒngbù de)
(adjective)
Definition
causing horror or dread
a series of grisly murders
Synonyms
gruesome
There has been a series of gruesome murders in the capital.
shocking
This was a shocking invasion of privacy.
terrible
Thousands suffered terrible injuries in the disaster.
awful
an awful smell of paint
terrifying
appalling
They have been living under the most appalling conditions.
horrible
Still the horrible shrieking came out of his mouth.
grim
They painted a grim picture of growing crime.
dreadful
They told us the dreadful news.
sickening
This was a sickening attack on a defenceless creature.
ghastly
This wallpaper is absolutely ghastly.
hideous
His family was subjected to a hideous attack.
macabre
Police have made a macabre discovery.
horrid
frightful
We were trapped overnight in frightful conditions.
abominable
The President described the attack as an abominable crime.
hellacious (US, slang)
Opposites
nice
,
attractive
,
charming
,
pleasant
,
agreeable
,
innocuous
Usage note
Note the spelling of grisly (as in a grisly murder). It should be carefully distinguished from the word grizzly (as in a grizzly bear), which means `greyish in colour'.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abominable
Definition
very bad or unpleasant
The President described the attack as an abominable crime.
Synonyms
detestable,
shocking,
terrible (informal),
offensive,
foul,
disgusting,
horrible,
revolting,
obscene,
vile,
horrid,
repellent,
atrocious,
obnoxious,
despicable,
repulsive,
base,
heinous,
hellish (informal),
odious,
hateful,
repugnant,
reprehensible,
loathsome,
abhorrent,
contemptible,
villainous,
nauseous,
wretched,
accursed,
execrable,
godawful (slang)
in the sense of appalling
Definition
causing dismay, horror, or revulsion
They have been living under the most appalling conditions.