grim

American  

[grim] / grɪm /

adjective

grimmer, grimmest

1. stern and admitting of no appeasement or compromise.

   grim determination; grim necessity.

   Synonyms:

   unyielding, harsh

   Antonyms:

   lenient

2. of a sinister or ghastly character.

   a grim joke.

   Synonyms:

   dreadful, hideous, gruesome, grisly, horrid, appalling, dire, horrible, frightful

   Antonyms:

   attractive

3. having a harsh, surly, forbidding, or morbid air.

   a grim man but a just one; a grim countenance.

   Synonyms:

   hard, stern, severe

   Antonyms:

   gentle

4. fierce, savage, or cruel.

   War is a grim business.

   Synonyms:

   ruthless, ferocious

5. unpleasant or repellant.

   Scrubbing toilets is a grim task that no one likes doing.

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grim British  

/ ɡrɪm /

adjective

1. stern; resolute

   grim determination

2. harsh or formidable in manner or appearance

3. harshly ironic or sinister

   grim laughter

4. cruel, severe, or ghastly

   a grim accident

5. archaic fierce

   a grim warrior

6. informal unpleasant; disagreeable

7. to hold very firmly or resolutely

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Other Word Forms

• grimly adverb
• grimness noun

Etymology

Origin of grim

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German grimm, Old Norse grimmr

Explanation

Things that are gloomy, stark, ghastly, and somber are grim. Sunshine, puppies, and rainbows are not grim; zombies, reapers, and mummies are grim. Less scary things like drizzly, foggy days can also be called grim. Two famous uses of the adjective grim are the Grim Reaper and Grimm's Fairy Tales. Mr. Reaper shows up in movies and books wearing a long, hooded black cape and carrying a scythe, or long-handled blade used, in less grim circumstances, for mowing grass and reaping grain: he represents death. The real-life German brothers wrote some bone-chilling tales under their own name, Grimm, meaning "cruel, fierce," which is related to the English word grim. Modern grim things include crime-drama images of dead bodies and characters in horror movies.

Example Sentences

Even given the grim mortality statistics of their day, some of the Founders suffered disproportionately from family health challenges, and these personal tragedies likely made them receptive to medical innovations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Fans and commentators highlighted the humor in his response, noting that the actor turned what could have been a grim misinformation scare into a light, self-aware moment.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

On the evidence of this grim spectacle, the presence of the 32-year-old captain and record goalscorer will be the difference between failure and any chance of English success at this summer's World Cup.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The study’s findings are in line with existing research that paints a grim picture of the statewide housing crisis, said Carolina Reid, an associate professor of city and regional planning at UC Berkeley.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

His face had become very serious, almost grim, with every trace of laughter taken from it.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

Related Words

• dogged
• ferocious
• fierce
• merciless
• relentless
• resolute
• ruthless
• unrelenting