1
as in harsh
difficult to endure
the months of chemotherapy seemed almost as grievous an affliction as the cancer itself
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2
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
the death of a spouse can be a grievous loss from which one never recovers
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3
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury
a grievous wound that requires a doctor's immediate attention
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4
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
the grievous cost of the war in human lives weighed heavily on the president's mind
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grievous
This grievous and uniquely cruel injury of not knowing, of uncertainty and confusion, and answers withheld.
—
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
That power was built up over centuries partly to compensate for the humiliation, subjugation, and grievous bondage of Russia’s history, real and imagined.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
No sin is too grievous for His mercy.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2026
Her governments oversaw sustained economic growth, infrastructure expansion, and the establishment of a war crimes tribunal to prosecute those responsible for committing grievous crimes during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
—Andrew Pereira, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Apr. 2026
That power was built up over centuries partly to compensate for the humiliation, subjugation, and grievous bondage of Russia’s history, real and imagined.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
No sin is too grievous for His mercy.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2026
Her governments oversaw sustained economic growth, infrastructure expansion, and the establishment of a war crimes tribunal to prosecute those responsible for committing grievous crimes during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
—Andrew Pereira, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grievous
Adjective
-
Ikutiminu, who will attend UC Irvine in the fall, even spoke with musicians about how to create a sound that would be less harsh than the vuvuzela.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Without toxic acids Tripathi’s breakthrough eliminates the harsh chemicals.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
He’s gone through the painful, laborious and expensive process of having his tattoos removed.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 June 2026
-
Like Sasse, most people in the trial experienced a rash (though just 15% had a severe case), and over half had nausea or painful sores in their mouths and throats.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
Yet oil futures have not skyrocketed to the dangerous levels forecasters feared — at least not yet.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
-
Financial watchdogs view telecoms acting as dangerous regulatory arbitrage, fearing that seamless digital wallets are a backdoor for capital flight.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Brexton Busch, the 11-year-old son of NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch, did something for the first time since the sudden and tragic passing of his father.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
-
In his hands, Tom can be buffoonish, tragic, doomed and heroic at once.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Adjective
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Standing at a podium in Washington last week, Missouri’s senior senator called on Republicans to regulate the artificial intelligence industry in a searing speech that cast the dangers of AI as a moral dilemma.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2026
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With its brilliant white surface reflecting the searing Spanish sun, the cross that crowns the Tower of Jesus Christ (the other 17 towers are dedicated to the 12 apostles, four Evangelists and the Virgin Mary) is as tall as a five-story building and weighs around 100 tons.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Adjective
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The immigrant-detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz, deep in the Florida Everglades, stands out as a uniquely cruel publicity stunt with an absurdly high price tag, in which much of the money goes into just a few pockets.—
Eric Schlosser,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
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Therefore, a second execution would not violate the prohibition on double jeopardy or on the imposition of cruel punishment.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Remain out of the water to avoid hazardous surf and NEVER turn your back on the ocean.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
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Tests revealed the water is contaminated with nitrate, which can come from fertilizer, animal manure or human sewage, and 1,2,3-trichloropropane, a hazardous chemical that was widely used in pesticides years ago.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
There’s no question that this unfortunate cocktail of corruption, inefficiency, and simple incompetence is holding the country back.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
-
Unfortunately, going cold turkey off a central nervous system depressant like GHB has some pretty unfortunate side-effects.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grievous. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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