grim
adjective
ˈgrim 
grimmer; grimmest
1
: fierce in disposition or action : savage
grim wolves
2
a
: stern or forbidding in action or appearance
a grim taskmaster
b
: somber, gloomy
grim news of the disaster
3
: ghastly, repellent, or sinister in character
a grim tale
4
: unflinching, unyielding
grim determination
grimly adverb
grimness noun
Synonyms
- austere
- dour
- fierce
- flinty
- forbidding
- gruff
- intimidating
- lowering
- louring
- rough
- rugged
- severe
- stark
- steely
- stern
- ungentle
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Hikers made a grim discovery when they came across a dead body in the woods. The accident serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of drinking and driving. The prognosis is grim—doctors do not expect her to live longer than six months. He paints a grim picture of the prospects for peace. His face looked grim, and we knew his news wouldn't be good.
Recent Examples on the Web Filmed in dismal interiors in the director’s native Poland, the psychiatric hospital scenes are suitably grim, if too compressed to convey the anguish and tedium of the twins’ 11-year incarceration. 
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2022 But by one measure of investor sentiment, the outlook for markets is fairly grim. WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 Right now, the future is grim for wage-earning and frontline workers. Ellen Mcgirt, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2022 Some people have artistic or musical interests that are more grim than others, but if their engagement with those things surpasses what's normal for them, that would be concerning, Roeske said. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 4 Sep. 2022 The situation is so grim that Doctors Without Borders sent a team there Thursday, the first time the agency has launched a mission in the Netherlands. Mike Corder, ajc, 26 Aug. 2022 Eisman's current outlook on our financial future is not as grim as what Carell portrays in the film. Kara Warner, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2022 Both were a bit grim, touching on the impact of an ongoing cyberwar in Ukraine, the rise of online disinformation, and the political turbulence following unfounded claims that the 2020 US election was fraudulent. PCMAG, 12 Aug. 2022 The news out of Washington, especially for Democrats, is reliably grim these days. Casey Michel, The New Republic, 18 July 2022 See More
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 13 Sep. 2022 But by one measure of investor sentiment, the outlook for markets is fairly grim. WSJ, 9 Sep. 2022 Right now, the future is grim for wage-earning and frontline workers. Ellen Mcgirt, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2022 Some people have artistic or musical interests that are more grim than others, but if their engagement with those things surpasses what's normal for them, that would be concerning, Roeske said. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 4 Sep. 2022 The situation is so grim that Doctors Without Borders sent a team there Thursday, the first time the agency has launched a mission in the Netherlands. Mike Corder, ajc, 26 Aug. 2022 Eisman's current outlook on our financial future is not as grim as what Carell portrays in the film. Kara Warner, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2022 Both were a bit grim, touching on the impact of an ongoing cyberwar in Ukraine, the rise of online disinformation, and the political turbulence following unfounded claims that the 2020 US election was fraudulent. PCMAG, 12 Aug. 2022 The news out of Washington, especially for Democrats, is reliably grim these days. Casey Michel, The New Republic, 18 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, "fierce, savage, terrifying, repellent, violent, severe," going back to Old English grimm "fierce, savage, harsh, severe," going back to Germanic *grimma-, from earlier *gremma- (whence also Old Frisian grim, grem "fierce, severe, frightening," Old Saxon grimm "fierce, hostile, severe," Old High German grim, grimmi, Old Norse grimmr), adjective derivative from the base of *grimman- "to rage" (whence Old English & Old Saxon grimman "to rage," Old High German grimmen), probably going back to *ghrem-ne-, nasal present from an Indo-European verbal base *ghrem- "roar, rage," whence Avestan graməṇt- "raging," Greek chremetízein "to neigh, whinny," chrémisan "(they) neighed"; with zero-grade ablaut Old Church Slavic vŭzgrĭmě "thundered, roared," Lithuanian grumiù, grumė́ti "to roar, thunder"; with o-grade ablaut Germanic *gram- (whence Old English, Old Saxon & Old High German gram "angry, hostile, fierce," Old Norse gramr "anger," Old English gremman, gremian "to anger, enrage," Old High German gremmen, Old Norse gremja, Gothic gramjan), Old Church Slavic gromŭ "thunder," Greek chrómos, chrómē (Hesychius) "kind of noise, snorting, neighing," chrómados "grinding of jaws" (cf. chromis)
Note: The base *ghrem- is most likely of onomatopoeic origin, with different semantic developments in the Indo-European branch languages.
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing grim
Kids Definition
grim
adjective
ˈgrim
grimmer; grimmest
1
: savage entry 1 sense 2, cruel
2
: harsh in action or appearance : stern
a grim look
3
: gloomy sense 3, dismal
grim news
4
: showing firmness and seriousness
grim determination
5
: frightful sense 1
a grim tale
grim
adjective
1
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance a grim and desolate landscape a grim and short-tempered shopkeeper who didn't exactly invite friendly conversation Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- gruff
- bleak
- stern
- intimidating
- fierce
- rugged
- stark
- forbidding
- severe
- dour
- hostile
- rough
- somber
- ungentle
- austere
- dark
- cold
- lowering
- steely
- flinty
- hardened
- louring
- stubborn
- solemn
- moody
- black
- determined
- inhospitable
- unflinching
- gloomy
- resolute
- unsympathetic
- unfriendly
- cheerless
- implacable
- glum
- steadfast
- stiff
- melancholy
- unrelenting
- morose
- bound
- serious
- uncompromising
- adamant
- inimical
- intent
- joyless
- rigid
- sullen
- purposeful
- obdurate
- mulish
- unyielding
- resolved
- obstinate
- melancholic
- fixed
- unbending
- firm
- unchangeable
- hard
- willful
- humorless
- unsmiling
- inflexible
- surly
- brooding
- immovable
- hardheaded
- sulky
- sombre
- grave
- set
- immutable
- sober
- staid
- ironhanded
- weighty
- wilful
- self-willed
- sobersided
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- mild
- benign
- gentle
- bland
- benignant
- soft
- cheerful
- quiet
- pleasant
- bright
- tranquil
- mellow
- soothing
- meek
- easy
- tender
- sweet
- mirthful
- agreeable
- lighthearted
- merry
- sunny
- happy
- nonintimidating
- silly
- pleasing
- goofy
- glad
- playful
- giddy
- frivolous
- inviting
- scatterbrained
- harebrained
- flighty
- featherbrained
- light-headed
2
as in harsh
difficult to endure this winter is supposed to be particularly grim, so stock up on firewood Synonyms & Similar Words
- harsh
- tough
- searing
- oppressive
- brutal
- rough
- bleak
- severe
- hard
- cruel
- trying
- painful
- murderous
- inhuman
- heavy
- bitter
- onerous
- rugged
- burdensome
- excruciating
- grievous
- stiff
- unpleasant
- uncomfortable
- spartan
- unbearable
- inhospitable
- austere
- hardhanded
- forbidding
- strict
- bad
- discomforting
- comfortless
- rigorous
- inclement
- overwhelming
- stringent
- agonizing
- biting
- heartbreaking
- harrowing
- crushing
- wretched
- intemperate
- wild
- intolerable
- grinding
- insufferable
- unendurable
- tortuous
- hostile
- disagreeable
- heartrending
- wearing
- unfriendly
- insupportable
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- light
- soft
- pleasant
- easy
- friendly
- comfortable
- luxurious
- agreeable
- genial
- cozy
- peaceful
- hospitable
- mild
- tolerable
- restful
- bearable
- gentle
- calm
- snug
- moderate
- relaxing
- balmy
- painless
- endurable
- temperate
- reposeful
- clement
3
as in relentless
showing no signs of slackening or yielding in one's purpose with grim determination, the woman worked three jobs to put her fatherless children through college Synonyms & Similar Words
- relentless
- determined
- unflinching
- persistent
- implacable
- unrelenting
- ruthless
- unyielding
- dogged
- merciless
- stubborn
- hard
- unappeasable
- tenacious
- willful
- perverse
- obdurate
- unforgiving
- peevish
- intractable
- mulish
- persevering
- uncooperative
- hardheaded
- pertinacious
- opinionated
- pigheaded
- headstrong
- wilful
- self-willed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- softening
- weak
- impotent
- yielding
- slack
- slackening
- spineless
- complaisant
- invertebrate
- pliable
- pliant
- obliging
4
as in savage
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition grim warriors heading into battle Synonyms & Similar Words
- savage
- ferocious
- vicious
- fierce
- merciless
- ruthless
- fell
- menacing
- murderous
- brute
- relentless
- contentious
- pugnacious
- pitiless
- warlike
- bellicose
- militant
- belligerent
- bloody
- murdering
- feisty
- barbaric
- truculent
- confrontational
- inhuman
- implacable
- bestial
- combative
- gladiatorial
- threatening
- wild
- unrelenting
- inhumane
- assaultive
- heartless
- discordant
- ravenous
- sanguinary
- scrappy
- bloodthirsty
- chippy
- blood-and-guts
- disputatious
- sanguine
- bare-knuckled
- uncivilized
- in-your-face
- brawly
- bare-knuckles
- homicidal
- argumentative
- quarrelsome
- take-no-prisoners
- bare-knuckle
- rapacious
- wanton
- voracious
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- mild
- warm
- gentle
- congenial
- friendly
- genial
- benign
- kind
- cordial
- tame
- amicable
- merciful
- hearty
- compassionate
- amiable
- peaceful
- human
- compliant
- unaggressive
- submissive
- companionable
- warmhearted
- peaceable
- humane
- pacific
- comradely
- civilized
- complaisant
- cultured
- obliging
- roll out
- roll out of bed
- roll out the red carpet
- roll out the welcome mat
- roll pass
- roll roofing
- roll scale
- roll sulfur
- roll the bones
- roll the dice
- roll top
- roll train
- roll up
- roll up one's sleeves
- roll welding
- roll with the punches
- roll-and-fillet molding
- roll-cumulus
- roll-forming machine
- roll-ins
- roll-leaf
- roll-neck
- roll-necked
- roll-off
- roll-on