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

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 The situation underlines a grim reality of the pandemic era. Jeanna Smialek Tony Luong, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2022 Electricity rationing has become the new grim reality of war, as Russia tries to destroy Ukraine’s economic capacity and force its leaders to the negotiating table. John Lough, CNN, 27 Oct. 2022 For the grim reality, read the New York Post, where America’s hardest working police reporters cover America’s hardest working criminals. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 24 Oct. 2022 As the administration continues to ignore the grim reality of their open border, Americans continue to suffer — with hundreds of Americans dying every day from fentanyl poisonings. Kayla Bailey, Fox News, 23 Oct. 2022 That grim reality was again brought into focus last week, when 14-year-old Rasante Osorio of Dorchester was killed in a double shooting that also injured another teen in Roxbury. Camilo Fonseca, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Oct. 2022 The onslaught brought back into focus the grim reality of war after months of easing tensions in the capital. Adam Schreck, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2022 In the ensuing Great Depression, all things Hawaiian became a dreamy pop-culture alternative to the grim reality of the 1930s. Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2022 The mobilization is a risky and unpopular decision, bringing home the grim reality of the war to many Russians who were previously apathetic supporters of the invasion, or quiet opponents. Robyn Dixon, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grim.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of grim was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near grim

Cite this Entry

“Grim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grim. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.

Kids Definition

grim

adjective
grimmer; grimmest
1
2
a
: stern in action or appearance
b
: dismal sense 1
grim news
c
3
: frightful sense 1
a grim tale
4
: unflinching, unyielding
grim determination
grimly adverb
grimness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on grim

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