grisly

[ griz-lee ]

/ ˈgrɪz li /

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.

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

Definition for grisly (2 of 2)

grisly²

[ gris-lee ]

/ ˈgrɪs li /

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

gristly.

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for grisly

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
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

Christine Pelisek talks to the man examining the grisly finds.
The Bone Collectors Get to Work at Florida’s Dozier School|Christine Pelisek|September 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He was only an acquaintance—one with a grisly shadow in his past—and it was best that he remain such.
The White Desert|Courtney Ryley Cooper
So, in all my wild imaginings the grisly fear is never far away.
The Drunkard|Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull
Every mile now began to show the grisly, stinking signs of rinderpest.
The Matabele Campaign|R. S. S. Baden-Powell
The grisly fact has been recorded that five separate human legs lay upon the ground.
The Great Boer War|Arthur Conan Doyle
A more mercurial jovial fellow never set old Time at defiance, or laughed in the grisly face of Care.
Flora Lyndsay|Susanna Moodie

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)