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
Hospitals treating the wounded are overwhelmed, aid agencies said, who also reported grievous crimes committed against civilians.
—
Nimi Princewill, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025
Nevertheless, he was convicted of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent in 2022 and was serving an eight-year term.
—Selam Gebrekidan, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
This, despite the fact that in New York City, injuries to pedestrians from bicycles are vanishingly rare, while grievous injuries to both pedestrians and cyclists from cars are common.
—Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
An unnamed 16-year-old boy received an 18-month supervision order after admitting to grievous bodily harm, and an unnamed 17-year-old girl will be sentenced at a later date after pleading guilty to robbery and possession of cannabis.
—Abby Monteil, Them, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Nimi Princewill, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025
Nevertheless, he was convicted of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent in 2022 and was serving an eight-year term.
—Selam Gebrekidan, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
This, despite the fact that in New York City, injuries to pedestrians from bicycles are vanishingly rare, while grievous injuries to both pedestrians and cyclists from cars are common.
—Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
An unnamed 16-year-old boy received an 18-month supervision order after admitting to grievous bodily harm, and an unnamed 17-year-old girl will be sentenced at a later date after pleading guilty to robbery and possession of cannabis.
—Abby Monteil, Them, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grievous
Adjective
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Unlike Western cleansers, which often rely on harsh surfactants or astringent ingredients, Korean ones maintain the skin’s moisture barrier and natural pH balance, says Cho.—
Denise Primbet,
Glamour,
28 Feb. 2025
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The 79-year-old Oscar winner embraces the challenging role of the Dutton family matriarch alongside co-star Harrison Ford, confronting everything from mountain lions to the harsh realities of frontier life.—
Holly Williams,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Throughout her childhood, Dee Dee subjected her Gypsy-Rose to years of painful medical procedures that were not needed.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Whether a client hires a single architect to design a house or a team to work on a downtown plan with multiple community stakeholders, the architect-client relationship is rarely one of a painful struggle.—
Matt Shaw,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The 400-mile race is scheduled to start on Sunday after it was delayed by more than a month due to warm temperatures and a dangerous trail.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2025
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Freezing temperatures can endanger health, particularly of vulnerable groups like children and the elderly, whilst snow can lead to dangerous driving conditions.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And then everything changed due to the pandemic and the great Helen McCrory’s tragic passing.—
Brian Davids,
The Hollywood Reporter,
26 Feb. 2025
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Michelle Trachtenberg’s former costars are remembering the actor after her tragic death at age 39.—
Glamour,
Glamour,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Hackman’s searing turn as the hyper, gum-smacking Doyle in the documentary-style French Connection distinguished him as a leading man.—
Duane Byrge,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Feb. 2025
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Bouchard’s five-on-five on-ice outscoring is a searing total.—
Allan Mitchell,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Even then, the final late twist with the penalty felt particularly cruel.—
Patrick Boyland,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
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Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, Still Alice highlights the cruel nature of the illness, where a person can still feel present while simultaneously losing pieces of themselves, creating a unique kind of grief.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Even as the cause of Mr. Grant’s death remains unknown, advocates of prison safety say that the strikes are creating hazardous conditions for inmates and warn that more deaths may occur if the labor dispute is not quickly resolved.—
Jay Root,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
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North Carolina is also experiencing hazardous winter conditions, with an advisory in effect until 10 a.m. EST Friday for areas including Person, Granville, Vance, Warren, and surrounding counties.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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There is an unfortunate flipside, though: Bond Could Receive Questionable Franchise Extensions That’s been the fear since Amazon acquired MGM in 2020.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
21 Feb. 2025
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But over the last few weeks, bagel eaters around the city have been confronted with some unfortunate news: Signs are plastered across shop counters stating a $1.25 additional surcharge for any bagel sandwiches featuring eggs.—
Zoya Hasan,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grievous. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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