grim
adjective
Synonyms
- austere
- dour
- fierce
- flinty
- forbidding
- gruff
- intimidating
- lowering
- louring
- rough
- rugged
- severe
- stark
- steely
- stern
- ungentle
Example Sentences
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
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.
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing grim
Kids Definition
grim
adjective
grim
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- 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
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
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
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