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
Polly’s mom and stepfather have already been terminated, and now her dad is determined to save his daughter, if not himself, from grievous bodily harm.
—
Joe Leydon, Variety, 1 Aug. 2025
Assad’s atrocities include leading the regime charged with killing more than 200,000 civilians, disappearing more than 96,000 people, torturing to death more than 15,000 people, and carrying out grievous attacks against civilians using chemical weapons, cluster munitions, and incendiary bombs.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 23 July 2025
Brown denied a more serious count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm at a hearing last month.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 11 July 2025
Accidental deaths are grievous enough without the specific reasons for anguish and anger in the Texas floods that took more than 120 lives.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Joe Leydon, Variety, 1 Aug. 2025
Assad’s atrocities include leading the regime charged with killing more than 200,000 civilians, disappearing more than 96,000 people, torturing to death more than 15,000 people, and carrying out grievous attacks against civilians using chemical weapons, cluster munitions, and incendiary bombs.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 23 July 2025
Brown denied a more serious count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm at a hearing last month.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 11 July 2025
Accidental deaths are grievous enough without the specific reasons for anguish and anger in the Texas floods that took more than 120 lives.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grievous
Adjective
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The triumphant narrative began to fray when exceedingly harsh lockdown measures could no longer contain the spread of the virus, and the staggering human cost in the name of protecting lives defied all logic.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
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There are no easy fixes, so figuring out how to cushion the harsh impact will be the basis of negotiations with other parties in the Japanese legislature, the Diet.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Mario Vuskovic’s suspension in 2022 was part of that struggle, another painful situation to overcome.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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In place of pesky underwire — which is uncomfortable at best, and downright painful at its worst — the bra uses a sturdy elastic band and adjustable straps to provide comfortable support.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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So quick, so dangerous in the final third, and surely so motivated to revive his career in a World Cup year.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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But even hanging around the base camp can be dangerous, as hundreds of holiday makers were trapped when the area was hit in an unexpected blizzard over the weekend.—
Kaijing Xiao,
ABC News,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This film largely focuses on Desai’s story – including a tragic twist at the end of his life.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
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She's also found ways for students to help in tragic circumstances before.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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His own divorce from actress Jennifer Jason Leigh informed his Oscar-winning Marriage Story (2019), a searing look at love unraveling.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
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And McConaughey, as a nervy reluctant hero, steers the searing, intense narrative about normal people living through the most hellish of circumstances.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That’s actually the cruelest thing about them.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
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The cold on August 27, 2011, was unprecedented—unbridled, utterly cruel.—
Mariana Enriquez
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Soon enough, the hazardous conditions overwhelm the area and Kevin has to get creative with maps and his driving skills, plus embrace a daredevil spirit, for even a chance of making it out alive with his young charges.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
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The computer scientists used an AI program to generate DNA codes for more than 75,000 variants of hazardous proteins – and the firewalls used by DNA manufacturers weren't consistently able to catch them.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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To lose Livramento and Hall at the same time is unfortunate and has left Newcastle stretched down the defensive flanks, but letting Targett go was the right decision.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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The track record in Jacksonville is a series of unfortunate events, and that hasn’t been because of the record.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grievous. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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