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
Akram was also charged with 40 counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder and one count each of committing a terrorist act, discharging firearms, placing explosives and publicly displaying a terrorist organization symbol, New South Wales police said.
—
Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 17 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 17 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grievous
Adjective
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The energy output is designed to remain stable down to –50 degrees Celsius, supporting reliable operation in some of the harshest climates on Earth, reports InsideEVs.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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Rapinchuk recommends only using non-toxic products when cleaning your refrigerator and avoiding anything with harsh chemicals, such as bleach and ammonia.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Knee-assist devices and exoskeletons often use simple bearings placed near the knee, which can create painful misalignment because a real knee hinges but also shifts, rolls, and slides.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
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After 35 rounds of radiation and painful robotic surgery on his tongue, Coulier can finally begin to recover from his cancer battle.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Without reliably cold temperatures, snow is wetter and thinner, conditions are rainier — and for athletes that can be dangerous.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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Luge is the most dangerous of the three sliding sports (bobsled and skeleton are the others) — ironic because athletes in that event actually have the most control.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The fire department believes the tragic crash was an accident, not an intentional criminal act.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
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At first, that seems at odds with Aleys’s tragic fate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The film, a searing exploration of the country’s flawed prison system, also stars Rivals frontman Alex Hassell and British R&B artist Ray BLK.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
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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
Adjective
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Said quest forces her to reexamine a revelatory affair with an RAF pilot, and consider how their engagement’s cruel ending set her on the path to a different sort of fulfillment.—
Hayley Maitland,
Vogue,
14 Feb. 2026
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Government should tame the savageness of man and make life in this world more gentle, not crueler.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The study, and the training, include best practices for handling and disposing of hazardous waste, Gabriel said.—
Rachel Becker,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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At least 12 of the 169 chemicals detected in the new analysis have been associated with cancer, birth defects and reproductive issues and are included in California’s Proposition 65 hazardous chemicals list.—
Aude Konan,
Scientific American,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And that’s how the forward ended up under a too-bright light at the end of this season, burdened with the unfortunate responsibility of being one of the few players the front office felt was worth investing in long term.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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After Ellis’ unfortunate and sudden passing in 1986, Marc Jacobs was named creative director of the brand in 1988.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grievous. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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