GRIEVOUS Synonyms: 221 Similar and Opposite Words

grievous

adjective

ˈgrē-vəs

Definition of grievous

as in harsh

difficult to endure the months of chemotherapy seemed almost as grievous an affliction as the cancer itself

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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as in dangerous

involving potential loss or injury a grievous wound that requires a doctor's immediate attention

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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of grievous This is because when reviewing anything as one would a mechanical device, any flaw encountered is a grievous error. — Literary Hub, 26 June 2026 Here are some of the helpers who rose so fiercely to the grievous occasion. — Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026 The mass shooting that claimed 49 lives and injured dozens of others—the deadliest hate crime targeting LGBTQ+ people in American history—still leaves a grievous mark, most especially in a city, state and nation besieged with new attacks on the gay community. — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 This incident seems to have been the result of two coinciding oversights, rather than one grievous wrong. — R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for grievous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grievous

Adjective

But some have pushed back on the idea that the threat of harsh legal punishment could prevent the gatherings in the first place.

— Safiyah Riddle, Fortune, 25 July 2026
Even if it's erased later, everyone now knows it can be drawn again, along the same criteria or something harsher, and that no one outside Washington controls where that line lands next.

— Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026

Definition of harsh

Adjective

For five years running, Americans have had to live with wallet-fleecing, budget-busting, paycheck-eating inflation – including a painful stretch where the pace of price hikes hit a 40-year high.

— Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Many who are bitten never develop an allergic reaction at all, while others become so sensitive that merely smelling hamburger smoke can set off a painful response.

— Andy Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2026

Definition of painful

Adjective

Experts agree that allowing external services to access Apple’s and Google’s operating systems could be dangerous for security and user privacy.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
Sources additionally say that officers have burnt out while working overtime month after month — all on top of functioning in an already tense and dangerous environment, likening the situation to a powder keg ready to blow.

— Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2026

Definition of dangerous

Adjective

The Gilroy Garlic festival started Friday and goes through the weekend for a second year in a row following a six-year hiatus brought on by a tragic shooting.

— Laura A. Oda, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
Against this tragic backdrop, Sean’s rise to become an elite swimmer is even more remarkable.

— Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of tragic

Adjective

Von Carolsfeld doesn’t attempt a sweeping indictment of the criminal justice system, but rather produces a devastatingly accurate portrait of the searing human complicity that allows some monsters to roam free.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 22 July 2026
If random disclosure of common-sense-defying detail is your idea of a searing, poignant journey into the light of faith, there’s more where that came from.

— Matthew Walther, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

Definition of searing

Adjective

But in one of the cruelest ironies in rock history, Berry suffered a devastating car crash not far from the actual Dead Man’s Curve in Los Angeles on April 12, 1966.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026
In the face of climate change, such woo woo aphorisms seem ridiculous, naive, and cruel.

— Josh Fox, IndieWire, 17 July 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

Anything other than a plane crash, such as a building fire, medical emergency or hazardous materials spill at the airport, is handled by the Carlsbad Fire Department, and a large incident would bring in mutual aid from other agencies in the region.

— Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026
The project is being led by Li Mingtao, chief scientist for planetary defense at the China National Space Administration, and is intended to advance technologies that could one day help protect Earth from hazardous near-Earth objects.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 19 July 2026

Definition of hazardous

Adjective

No, this unfortunate moniker represents the lack of attention to and awareness of the disease.

— Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Typically, when rookies put up gaudy numbers in Las Vegas, their stats are accompanied by unfortunate shooting percentages or a bevy of turnovers, but that wasn’t the case for Burries.

— Eric Nehm, New York Times, 19 July 2026