1
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
a grim and desolate landscape a grim and short-tempered shopkeeper who didn't exactly invite friendly conversation
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2
as in harsh
difficult to endure
this winter is supposed to be particularly grim, so stock up on firewood
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3
as in relentless
showing no signs of slackening or yielding in one's purpose
with grim determination, the woman worked three jobs to put her fatherless children through college
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4
as in savage
violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition
grim warriors heading into battle
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of grim
The nation has proved to be humanity’s most cherished fairy tale, and its grimmest.
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Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Despite a grim outlook for victory, the junta has refused to concede in conflict zones.
—Koh Ewe, TIME, 1 Nov. 2024
And besides fears about unsafe living conditions due to mold in homes, the 12-foot-long pile of debris outside his home is a grim reminder of the last five weeks.
—Solcyré Burga, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024
This meticulous preparation paid off, particularly during one of the film’s most harrowing sequences — when the broadcast team receives false information that the hostages have survived, only to later learn the grim truth.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grim 
Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Despite a grim outlook for victory, the junta has refused to concede in conflict zones.
—Koh Ewe, TIME, 1 Nov. 2024
And besides fears about unsafe living conditions due to mold in homes, the 12-foot-long pile of debris outside his home is a grim reminder of the last five weeks.
—Solcyré Burga, TIME, 31 Oct. 2024
This meticulous preparation paid off, particularly during one of the film’s most harrowing sequences — when the broadcast team receives false information that the hostages have survived, only to later learn the grim truth.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for grim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grim
Adjective
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The dynamic between Callum and tracker Jack O’Malley (Chris Evans), meanwhile, is your classic buddy-cop back-and-forth, with the gruff Callum slowly warming to the disreputable criminal he’s forced to partner up with when Santa gets kidnapped two days before Christmas.Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
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Keaton dove into the part, adjusting his posture and affecting a gruff voice with a hint of New York–ese.Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Trump has promised to enact a new fiscal and economic regime, including harsh tariffs that some economists fear could have inflationary effects.Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
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November is here, and with its arrival comes cooler, harsher weather.Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The evolution of malware is a relentless game of cat and mouse, and Android users are once again in the crosshairs.Lars Daniel, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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This absurd claim is an extension of their relentless obsession to remove checks and balances within our government.Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The 2023 grand marshal is former Arizona Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords, gravely wounded in a savage mass shooting in 2011 that also killed six people.Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2022
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As savage Arctic cold was getting ready to surge south across North America, vivid imagery based on data from weather models showed us what was going to happen.Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 27 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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And in Pennsylvania the Philadelphia district attorney issued a stern warning.Luke Barr, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024
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Where once there was stern, pensive faces, now there were smiles, heads tilted back.Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The Buffs need to find a way to grind out tough yards on the ground, especially late.Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
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Bosa confirmed Wednesday that playing through a hip injury last game was the toughest pain he’s endured in 5 1/2 seasons.Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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And Powell made clear that the Fed is determined to maintain its statutory independence from Congress and the Presidency.Peter Green, Quartz, 9 Nov. 2024
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Appointment or not, all were determined to make it to the border and eventually Southern California.Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
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Characteristically, once she was married, Stewart tackled every ambition with ferocious discipline and took each failure as a personal crisis.Constance Grady, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
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Lebanon’s health sector has been in the thick of a ferocious Israeli air assault as Israel and Hezbollah trade fire in an ongoing war, with the country’s south and Beirut’s southern suburbs hardest hit.Allegra Goodwin and Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Grim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grim. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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