grimly

American  

[grim-lee] / ˈgrɪm li /

adverb

1. in a stern, sinister, fierce, or forbidding way.

   The mood has turned bleak here as the populace prepares grimly for a period of prolonged hardship and, they fear, war.

   For many years, art was forbidden in the country unless it was grimly, dully figurative or a gaudy mural glorifying the dictator’s regime.

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Etymology

Origin of grimly

First recorded before 1000; grim ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Example Sentences

Holding a pen like a gun grimly acknowledges Irish history, opposition to British rule as well as the sectarian Troubles between Protestants and Catholics.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s just a hole in the ground,” he says grimly.

From Los Angeles Times

The production is somewhat hampered by Anthony Tran’s cumbersome costumes and Chin’s grimly rational scenic design.

From Los Angeles Times

As one of the good guys grimly puts it, mounting a rebellion means resigning oneself to accepting loss after loss after loss until you finally pull out a victory.

From Salon

As horrible as this is to witness, the situation also grimly verges on parody.

From Salon

Related Words

• brutally
• firmly
• powerfully