grim

adjective

ˈgrim 

grimmer; grimmest

1

a

: stern or forbidding in action or appearance

a grim taskmaster

When we saw his grim expression we knew he had bad news.

b

: somber, gloomy

grim news of the disaster

a grim winter

2

: ghastly, repellent, or sinister in character

a grim tale

made a grim discovery in the woods

3

: unflinching, unyielding

grim determination

4

: fierce in disposition or action : savage

grim wolves

grimly adverb

grimness noun

Synonyms of grim

• gruff
• stern
• fierce
• bleak
• intimidating
• rugged
• hostile
• stark
• severe
• forbidding

Examples of grim in a Sentence

Hikers made a grim discovery when they came across a dead body in the woods.

The accident serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of drinking and driving.

The prognosis is grim—doctors do not expect her to live longer than six months.

He paints a grim picture of the prospects for peace.

His face looked grim, and we knew his news wouldn't be good.

Recent Examples on the Web

In a grim fiscal milestone first breached in fiscal year 2025, the costs to service the nation’s ballooning debt have spiraled, creating a financial pickle that threatens to squeeze the federal budget for decades to come. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025

In the 106 years since, humanity has remained captivated by the notion that machines could take over our daily work, as well as by the grim but entertaining idea that toiling automata will get murderously sick of picking up laundry. —David M. Ewalt, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025

He was soon replaced by the Democratic Party insider Clark Clifford, who in short order reached the same grim perspective on the war’s prospects. —Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025

The country has faced countless striking collisions between major cultural and technological forces, but conflict in the entertainment industry hasn’t seemed so politically grim since the 1960s. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 16 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "fierce, savage, terrifying, repellent, violent, severe," going back to Old English grimm "fierce, savage, harsh, severe," going back to Germanic *grimma-, from earlier *gremma- (whence also Old Frisian grim, grem "fierce, severe, frightening," Old Saxon grimm "fierce, hostile, severe," Old High German grim, grimmi, Old Norse grimmr), adjective derivative from the base of *grimman- "to rage" (whence Old English & Old Saxon grimman "to rage," Old High German grimmen), probably going back to *ghrem-ne-, nasal present from an Indo-European verbal base *ghrem- "roar, rage," whence Avestan graməṇt- "raging," Greek chremetízein "to neigh, whinny," chrémisan "(they) neighed"; with zero-grade ablaut Old Church Slavic vŭzgrĭmě "thundered, roared," Lithuanian grumiù, grumė́ti "to roar, thunder"; with o-grade ablaut Germanic *gram- (whence Old English, Old Saxon & Old High German gram "angry, hostile, fierce," Old Norse gramr "anger," Old English gremman, gremian "to anger, enrage," Old High German gremmen, Old Norse gremja, Gothic gramjan), Old Church Slavic gromŭ "thunder," Greek chrómos, chrómē (Hesychius) "kind of noise, snorting, neighing," chrómados "grinding of jaws" (cf. chromis)

Note: The base *ghrem- is most likely of onomatopoeic origin, with different semantic developments in the Indo-European branch languages.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Phrases Containing grim

• grim reaper

Rhymes for grim

• brim
• clim
• dim
• gym
• him
• hymn
• im
• limb
• mim
• prim
• rim
• scrim

Kids Definition

grim

adjective

ˈgrim 

grimmer; grimmest

1

: cruel sense 2, fierce

2

a

: stern in action or appearance

b

: dismal sense 1

grim news

c

: depressed

3

: frightful sense 1

a grim tale

4

: unflinching, unyielding

grim determination

grimly adverb

grimness noun