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
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
In May, the singer was arrested in Manchester and charged with grievous bodily harm with intent and spent nearly a week in custody.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
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
In May, the singer was arrested in Manchester and charged with grievous bodily harm with intent and spent nearly a week in custody.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grievous
Adjective
-
Bipartisan harsh criticism Senators from both sides of the aisle blasted the investigation.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Common exfoliators and fine line-eliminators like retinol and glycolic acid are too harsh on my skin, but this serum utilizes lactic acid, which is far more gentle but just as potent.—
Kaitlin Clapinski,
InStyle,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Proper skin preparation is key to making your wax sessions less painful.—
Tatayana Yomary,
Essence,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The high fevers, hospitalizations, and dehydration that these illnesses cause can be painful and disruptive—and, with vaccines, avoidable.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Placing your carbon monoxide detector in the proper location can alert you to dangerous levels of the invisible gas, which is unfortunately more likely to occur with the use of personal space heaters.—
Shivani Vyas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
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The Charlotte region faces a harsh night on Thursday, including dangerous wind chills, according to the National Weather Service.—
Mark Price
January 13,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Head coach Ken Assad raved about King Philip’s potential before his tragic passing in December, which is now a highly emotional season for a young but talented group coming off its first Hockomock League title.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
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The loss of a young woman in Minnesota during a confrontation with ICE agents, and the vastly different responses offered by Democrats and the administration, is a tragic reminder of our deeply divided politics.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Sophomore Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser, whose searing opening monologue had everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio to Julia Roberts taking jabs in stride.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
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For the ceremony, Lawrence wore a searing red gown designed by Raf Simons during his stint at the house of Dior.—
Kevin Huynh,
InStyle,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The forest had taught him that city dwellers could often be regulated by cruel and rather unpredictable codes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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That Maduro is a cruel dictator is clear; that Trump intends more than just his arrest (such as taking their oil) is equally clear.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Hadi of the weather service said those increasing winds could create hazardous marine conditions in South Florida, so swimmers and boaters should stay aware.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
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The hazardous conditions could impact the Wednesday evening and Thursday morning commutes.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Their late concession of the winning penalty to Morgan Gibbs-White, above, was unfortunate.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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Many unfortunate events were blamed on poison—the unexpected death of an enslaver or a slave, a spate of local deaths due to a virus or other disease, or problems on the plantation such as ill livestock or bad harvests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grievous. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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