grim

adjective

ˈgrim How to pronounce grim (audio)
Definition of grimnext
1
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance a grim and desolate landscape a grim and short-tempered shopkeeper who didn't exactly invite friendly conversation

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2
as in harsh
difficult to endure this winter is supposed to be particularly grim, so stock up on firewood

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3
as in relentless
showing no signs of slackening or yielding in one's purpose with grim determination, the woman worked three jobs to put her fatherless children through college

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4
as in savage
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition grim warriors heading into battle

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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 grim Just over halfway through 2026, the country has recorded more cases than in any other year since 1991 – surpassing a grim milestone that was just topped last year. — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 24 July 2026 Whatever happens in the week ahead may either remove — or add to — the grim mood taking hold in the stock market. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 24 July 2026 But when actually committed to screen, Stuart Fails is painful at nearly every turn, a grim death march through a series of overworn jokes and wall-spaghetti plotting made even less fun with each smugly metafictional turn. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 23 July 2026 The numbers from this year’s homelessness count were not as grim in other parts of the region. — David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for grim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grim
  1. gruff
  2. harsh
  3. relentless
  4. savage
  5. stern
  6. tough
  7. determined
  8. ferocious
Adjective
  • Matt Damon plays Odysseus as a gruff, practical tactician, rather than an energetically inventive and morally dubious schemer.
    — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • The New Zealander drew international acclaim for roles as gruff loners and unhinged villains.
    — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 13 July 2026
Definition of gruff
Adjective
  • But some have pushed back on the idea that the threat of harsh legal punishment could prevent the gatherings in the first place.
    — Safiyah Riddle, Fortune, 25 July 2026
  • Even if it's erased later, everyone now knows it can be drawn again, along the same criteria or something harsher, and that no one outside Washington controls where that line lands next.
    — Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • Even the relentless pursuit of Joao Felix across at least three windows underlines his willingness to sign players who have question marks against them.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • This Pulitzer-winning neo-slave narrative reimagines the Underground Railroad as a real subterranean network, in a Sisyphean allegory that illustrates the relentless metamorphoses of white supremacy and Black resistance.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 July 2026
Definition of relentless
Adjective
  • The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Josefowicz, in her decathlon of a performance, brought Ligeti’s savage discontinuities to the surface.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of savage
Adjective
  • An animalistic sense of intimidation coils beneath each gesture as Bracken offers a remarkable follow-up to her breakout role as a stern clairvoyant.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
  • The Latvian champions represent the sternest test of Wrexham Women’s recent history, particularly given the tight turnaround from Wednesday evening’s match and the hours of analysis and preparation put in by Sugarman and her staff.
    — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of stern
Adjective
  • There were tough conversations between Naylor and Cleveland’s coaches and front office.
    — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Villegas, after a tough primary election battle against Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, has roughly $572,000.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • Those who are determined to find deer get together and annually lease the hunting rights of ranches at a cost of from $150 to $1,500, or even more, per hunter.
    — Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 23 July 2026
  • The source said Iran remained determined to control passage through the Strait of Hormuz, saying ships would be allowed to pass safely only if their transit was coordinated with Tehran and conducted under Iranian arrangements, the source said.
    — Kevin Breuninger,Lim Hui Jie,Chloe Taylor,Sam Meredith, CNBC, 22 July 2026
Definition of determined
Adjective
  • Calm on the ball, Rodri is a ferocious monster off it, hoovering up second balls with his sharp anticipation and brushing opponents aside in duels with his imposing physicality.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Adult ladybugs are most known for eating aphids, but the various species are ferocious hunters of varied prey.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026
Definition of ferocious

Browse Nearby Words

grills
grim
grimace
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Cite this Entry

“Grim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grim. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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