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
That grievous attack was the first domino, not that any of the players here can agree on where the true beginning lies.
—
Editorial, Boston Herald, 5 Oct. 2024
Smith’s team said U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon made a grievous mistake by ruling that Smith was unlawfully appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
—Eric Tucker, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2024
The defense has repeatedly accused investigators of making grievous mistakes, including losing videos of several interviews with witnesses.
—Ron Wilkins, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Nov. 2024
The driver of the car panicked, tried to flee the scene, and in that process, ran over him again, and that caused [Shivam] the most grievous injuries.
—Carlton Reid, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grievous 
Editorial, Boston Herald, 5 Oct. 2024
Smith’s team said U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon made a grievous mistake by ruling that Smith was unlawfully appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
—Eric Tucker, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2024
The defense has repeatedly accused investigators of making grievous mistakes, including losing videos of several interviews with witnesses.
—Ron Wilkins, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Nov. 2024
The driver of the car panicked, tried to flee the scene, and in that process, ran over him again, and that caused [Shivam] the most grievous injuries.
—Carlton Reid, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grievous
Adjective
-
Unlike regular shampoos, curl-specific formulas focus on hydration, gentle cleansing, and curl retention while avoiding harsh sulfates and silicones that can strip moisture.—
Erin Parker,
Allure,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Ideally, opt for an eco-friendly detergent without harsh chemicals.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The Spanish government is moving to rein in real estate purchases by foreigners and curb the spread of short-term rentals, part of a series of measures that officials say are necessary to alleviate a painful housing crunch that has rapidly become one of the worst in Europe.—
Liz Alderman,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
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Trump also makes clear his intent to apply painful public and government pressure on private-sector DEI practices as well, and does not cloak his reasons.—
The Editors,
National Review,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The agency issued a red warning, its highest-level alert indicating dangerous weather, for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland, before downgrading it Friday afternoon.—
Claire Moses,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Inappropriate links in search results get a red highlight and icon, just like dangerous links.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Coweta County Fire Rescue continues to be devastated by the tragic passing of Battalion Chief Bart Cauthen.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2025
-
At least one desperate Russian command, the 20th Combined Arms Army, has formed assault groups made up of walking wounded—including injured men walking with the aid of crutches—and sent them into battle with predictably tragic results.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
At the end of the day, room could not be found for even Marianne Jean-Baptiste, a past Oscar nominee who swept the major critics awards for her searing turn in Hard Truths, or Angelina Jolie, a past Oscar winner and the A-lister of A-listers, who seemed an early front-runner for the biopic Maria.—
Scott Feinberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
23 Jan. 2025
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Working for New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller in California’s 1964 Republican presidential primary, the pair ran a searing campaign against Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, falling just shy of an upset.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
And having more thoughtful conversations doesn’t preclude the need sometimes to confront those who are needlessly cruel or organizations that benefit from such exploitation.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
18 Jan. 2025
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In recent months, the Justice Department and the state filed thousands of pages of new records in the lawsuit, including reports and sworn statements from pediatricians, scholars and others who describe Florida’s policies as archaic and cruel.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Cold weather and hazardous travel conditions may lead to a smaller turnout for Trump's inauguration weekend.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
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After the Marshall Fire, hazardous gases associated with the wildfire smoke, such as benzene and naphthalene, could be detected in homes downwind of the fire long after the burns were put out.—
Alejandra Borunda,
NPR,
19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Metro Denver's office vacancy rate is reaching new — and unfortunate — highs.—
Esteban L. Hernandez,
Axios,
27 Jan. 2025
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Jeep so far wants to keep pricing for those lower-spec Wagoneer EVs under wraps, though, even if the heart of the run will undoubtedly help the first electric Jeep more effectively escape from unfortunate comparisons to such stiff competition.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Ars Technica,
27 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near grievous
Cite this Entry
“Grievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grievous. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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