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
The 54-year-old last month pleaded guilty to charges including nine counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and 17 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, on what would have been the first day of his trial.
—
CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025
Sudan’s interim president and leader of the SAF, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, is also accused of overseeing grievous violence against civilians.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 29 Nov. 2025
Paul Doyle admitted to dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent, the BBC reports.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2025
Accountability for the Israeli leadership’s grievous violations of international law is necessary.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025
Sudan’s interim president and leader of the SAF, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, is also accused of overseeing grievous violence against civilians.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 29 Nov. 2025
Paul Doyle admitted to dangerous driving, affray, 17 charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, nine counts of causing GBH with intent, and three counts of wounding with intent, the BBC reports.
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2025
Accountability for the Israeli leadership’s grievous violations of international law is necessary.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grievous
Adjective
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Before Getting Started When cleaning your oven, try to avoid using harsh oven cleaners or using the self-cleaning feature.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
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The origin of clemency is understood through the Federalist Papers as a need for mercy in instances when the criminal justice system was too harsh.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This winter’s procedure, Edman said, included a ligament repair and the removal of some painful bone spurs in the ankle, which had limited not just his baserunning but his ability to bounce back and forth between the infield and the outfield.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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With Rock’s unmistakable voice narrating every awkward win and painful loss, the series balanced humor with real-life lessons.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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More than a billion phones are now ineligible for security updates at a time when the threat landscape has never been more dangerous.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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The church opened its warming center over the weekend, anticipating the arrival of the winter storm and the dangerous drop in temperatures.—
Leondra Head,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Today, there are more than 80,000 amputees in Angola, a tragic legacy of 27 years of the Angolan Civil War, which ended in 2002.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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The true story of the Von Erich wrestling family was so unrelentingly tragic that when The Iron Claw finally got made, director Sean Durkin opted to leave one brother out entirely.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Nowhere perhaps was the searing heat more evident than at Melbourne Park, where the usual crowds thronging outside the Australian Open tennis tournament dwindled to a ghost town as temperatures soared.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Some might call it a searing eyesore.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Young people are growing up in a climate that can feel cruel, divided or lonely.—
Julie Ruth Owen,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
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And cutting nurses’ health care benefits is just cruel.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This week, a powerful winter storm dumped a hazardous mix of snow, ice, and sleet across much of the United States, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes, grounding flights, closing schools, and disrupting the lives of more than 200 million Americans.—
Cat Ward,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Most areas in North Texas were covered in ice, sleet and snow, creating hazardous conditions.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Toni Preckwinkle has served the city of Chicago and Cook County ably throughout her long political career and done much to make life better for the unfortunate among us.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
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French Stewart played Harry Solomon, who was known for his odd posture, nervous energy, and the unfortunate fact that alien messages arrived through his head.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grievous. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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