GRIEVOUS Synonyms: 221 Similar and Opposite Words

grievous

adjective

ˈgrē-vəs

Definition of grievous next

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 In 2012, The Hollywood Reporter – the same trade magazine that recently lamented a downturn in animal rentals – published an exposé cataloging incidents in which animals died, were injured or were put at grievous risk on sets. —

Cynthia Chris, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2026 The officers, masked and kitted out with military-grade armor and rifles, have faced down peaceful protesters and people who have threatened, obstructed or attacked them, with methods that are less deadly than guns but still inflict grievous injuries. —

Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 15 Feb. 2026 Somehow, my burgeoning overconfidence didn’t result in grievous injuries. —

Andrew Fedorov, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026 The jury was also unable to reach a verdict for charges faced by Corner, who was accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent for hitting a police sergeant with a sledgehammer. —

Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grievous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grievous

Adjective

The lawyers also argue that Combs' sentence was too harsh, saying the trial judge wrongly based it in part on a conclusion that the crimes involved fraud and coercion and that Combs was a leader or organizer of criminal activity.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2026
Focused on a 2021 expedition in which Icelandic climber John Snorri Sigurjónsson and the Pakistani father-and-son team Ali and Sajid Sadpara attempt to become the first to summit K2 in winter, when conditions are at their harshest.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026