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
Using the tee fitting wasn’t his most grievous error.
—
Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 31 May 2025
But serious crashes also occur that take lives and cause grievous injuries, even when everyone is strapped in.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2025
The most grievous use of the act was by Franklin Roosevelt who used it to intern over 100,000 Japanese Americans during World War II—without providing them with a hearing.
—Richard Stengel, Time, 23 May 2025
Paul Doyle, 53, was also charged with dangerous driving and five other counts claiming different variations of causing grievous bodily harm, Prosecutor Sarah Hammond said.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 31 May 2025
But serious crashes also occur that take lives and cause grievous injuries, even when everyone is strapped in.
—Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2025
The most grievous use of the act was by Franklin Roosevelt who used it to intern over 100,000 Japanese Americans during World War II—without providing them with a hearing.
—Richard Stengel, Time, 23 May 2025
Paul Doyle, 53, was also charged with dangerous driving and five other counts claiming different variations of causing grievous bodily harm, Prosecutor Sarah Hammond said.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grievous
Adjective
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Come spring, the Ranger III carries everything from outhouses and diesel fuel for the generators to construction supplies to repair whatever damage Mother Nature did to facilities over the harsh winter.—
Diana Lambdin Meyer,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
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Yet the harshest critic is often the one in the mirror.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Once Schaefer’s emotional moment was done, the rest of the conversations ranged from mildly awkward to borderline painful.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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Their venom, similar to a bee’s or wasp’s, results in a painful, itchy pustule or blister on the skin.—
Gareth McGrath,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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And here, the country is experiencing a profound—and dangerous—shift.—
ASHLEY J. TELLIS,
Foreign Affairs,
17 June 2025
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This vulnerability becomes even more dangerous in moments of crisis.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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There's a tragic kind of symmetry in the way Carmen Berzatto, a guy who grew up in household devoid of nurturing, later devotes his life to caring for strangers.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
26 June 2025
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This tragic event raises urgent questions: What caused such extreme weather?—
Bethany Wales,
Sacbee.com,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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Pritzker’s speech, which occurred as national Democrats were largely leaderless in countering and criticizing Trump’s early chaotic presidential moves, aimed to fill the vacuum and garnered significant attention by offering a searing response to the president for a national audience.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
24 June 2025
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And first baseman Colby Thorndyke comes in with a searing swing.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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What is a totalitarian leader other than an individualist taking that creed to its cruel conclusions, erasing the uniqueness of every other person into mere characters in a drama?—
Ed Simon
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 2025
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This realization reconfigures the entire book, recasting their ongoing dialogue and seemingly cordial relations as an interstellar jail—and the novel itself into an extended, especially cruel prison sentence.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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Many analysts believe that robots like the K2 are likely to complement human workers by taking over monotonous or hazardous duties, which allows people to focus on more complex, creative, or supervisory tasks.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
24 June 2025
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Researchers worldwide are already focusing on multimodal robots that can adjust to their environments and access sites too hazardous or difficult for humans to reach.—
Leslie Katz,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Shakira does appear to be the beneficiary of an unintended consequence stemming from her unfortunate moves.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
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The stern instructor displays a remarkable amount of patience as the student bashes the unfortunate victim against every solid surface in sight — even alien beings capable of traversing the cosmos can have bad days at the office.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grievous. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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