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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grim
Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch The legendary comedian brings his BAFTA-winning experience to the role of Hogwarts' grim caretaker.
—
Marni Rose McFall Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025
And another grim fact is that Miami’s off season is getting longer, with business falling off long before June and the season starting later than ever.
—Connie Ogle
july 16, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025
Just six months into 2025, that number has been surpassed in a grim milestone.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 9 July 2025
Robert Shapiro, the first member and initial chair of OJ Simpson's defense team, gave a grim prediction regarding Diddy's potential sentence.
—Lauryn Overhultz , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for grim
Marni Rose McFall Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025
And another grim fact is that Miami’s off season is getting longer, with business falling off long before June and the season starting later than ever.
—Connie Ogle
july 16, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025
Just six months into 2025, that number has been surpassed in a grim milestone.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 9 July 2025
Robert Shapiro, the first member and initial chair of OJ Simpson's defense team, gave a grim prediction regarding Diddy's potential sentence.
—Lauryn Overhultz , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for grim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grim
Adjective
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Audiences can often sense the corporate overlords’ gruff hands pushing these previously distinct programs together.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
10 July 2025
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On the other hand, the 73-year-old Belichick’s gruff persona, with his monosyllabic utterances at news conferences, has become the stuff of legend.—
Bruce Feldman,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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Late-night talk shows across the board are facing the harsh reality that declines in ad revenue can’t make up for burgeoning production costs.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN Money,
22 July 2025
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The harsh reality is this: not all cell phone forensic extractions are created equal, and the most important evidence for trucking cases on the smartphone will be gone in days or weeks.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Laundry is attended to daily, even on-demand, while the housekeeping staff operates with a relaxed yet relentless efficiency.—
Paula Conway,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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Some of them talked about their despondency, their sense of being trapped in the relentless cycle of the tour, in which meaning can be hard to come by; even the best have to grow accustomed to disappointment.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
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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However, the slow collision of Ray’s two worlds unfolds with the stern casualness of two business acquaintances meeting for dinner.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
18 July 2025
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Bill Pogue’s family and friends knew him as a thoughtful, deeply sensitive man, despite his reputation as a gruff, stern, wildlife officer.—
Jim Zumbo,
Outdoor Life,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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The tougher policy changes are adding to the minors’ trauma, advocates say.—
Nicol León,
AZCentral.com,
22 July 2025
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The trio had no phone signal to call for help, due to being so far down in the cave, and so Kate made the tough decision to leave the boys to find help.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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By morning, they were determined to find a way out.—
Julianna Bragg,
CNN Money,
20 July 2025
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With a bout against WBA champion Fernando Daniel Martinez already confirmed for November, Rodriguez must first take care of business against a dangerous and determined Cafu.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 July 2025
Adjective
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An inside look at the birth and power of ferocious storms Lowry credits the current warming in the Atlantic to a weakening of the Bermuda High, a pattern of high pressure that expands and shrinks over the western Atlantic and heavily influences hurricane movement.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
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His was a time of global conflict, consumerist excess, and ferocious climate change.—
Daniel Seifert,
JSTOR Daily,
16 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grim. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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