GRIEVOUSNESS Synonyms: 221 Similar and Opposite Words

grievous

adjective

ˈgrē-vəs

Definition of grievous

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 This is because when reviewing anything as one would a mechanical device, any flaw encountered is a grievous error. — Literary Hub, 26 June 2026 Here are some of the helpers who rose so fiercely to the grievous occasion. — Karen Valby, Vanity Fair, 16 June 2026 The mass shooting that claimed 49 lives and injured dozens of others—the deadliest hate crime targeting LGBTQ+ people in American history—still leaves a grievous mark, most especially in a city, state and nation besieged with new attacks on the gay community. — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 This incident seems to have been the result of two coinciding oversights, rather than one grievous wrong. — R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 8 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for grievous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grievous

Adjective

The couple made sure the design included a basement where the kids could spend time, better insulation to handle South Dakota’s harsh weather and plenty of storage — all features their previous home lacked.

— Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Those are some of the harsh conditions that detainees in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody described experiencing in recent weeks at the Federal Detention Center, a Bureau of Prisons facility located in a concrete tower in downtown Miami.

— Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026

Definition of harsh

Adjective

When asked whether this was the most painful moment of his football career, Tuchel would not commit.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 18 July 2026
England was knocked out of the World Cup in painful fashion on Wednesday, surrendering two goals in the final 15 minutes of its semifinal clash with Argentina.

— Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 18 July 2026

Definition of painful

Adjective

Experts agree that allowing external services to access Apple’s and Google’s operating systems could be dangerous for security and user privacy.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
Sources additionally say that officers have burnt out while working overtime month after month — all on top of functioning in an already tense and dangerous environment, likening the situation to a powder keg ready to blow.

— Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2026

Definition of dangerous

Adjective

The Gilroy Garlic festival is returning this month for a second year in a row following a six-year hiatus brought on by a tragic shooting.

— Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 17 July 2026
Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman are partners in a snazzy teleportation bit who turn on each other after the tragic death of their assistant.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 17 July 2026

Definition of tragic

Adjective

Severe droughts and searing heat across vast swathes of southern Europe destroyed large parts of the olive oil harvest, culminating in a dizzying price rally that shocked industry veterans and consumers alike.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 17 July 2026
Set in the immigrant neighborhoods of 1950s Brooklyn, Miller’s searing tragedy explores the tensions between devotion and desire, justice and loyalty, and the promise and pressures of the American Dream.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 14 July 2026

Definition of searing

Adjective

But in one of the cruelest ironies in rock history, Berry suffered a devastating car crash not far from the actual Dead Man’s Curve in Los Angeles on April 12, 1966.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2026
In the face of climate change, such woo woo aphorisms seem ridiculous, naive, and cruel.

— Josh Fox, IndieWire, 17 July 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

Anything other than a plane crash, such as a building fire, medical emergency or hazardous materials spill at the airport, is handled by the Carlsbad Fire Department, and a large incident would bring in mutual aid from other agencies in the region.

— Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026
The project is being led by Li Mingtao, chief scientist for planetary defense at the China National Space Administration, and is intended to advance technologies that could one day help protect Earth from hazardous near-Earth objects.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 19 July 2026

Definition of hazardous

Adjective

Healthcare has an unfortunate tendency to confuse organizational structure with progress.

— Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
This leads to another unfortunate confrontation with a Bowden parent, as Tom drags Cady into the street and beats him up in full view of lookie-loos with phone cameras.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 July 2026