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
Critics fear grim consquences as the federal government slashes funding for weather forecasting, shutters climate websites and databases, lays off scientists and researchers and weakens disaster response capabilities at a moment when climate change is increasing the frequency of such events.
—
Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025
But the grim, underreported reality is that many working families have already left New York City, or are on the brink of leaving, because they’ve been priced out of raising their children here.
—Reshma Saujani, New York Daily News, 6 July 2025
Investigators have made a grim discovery during the search for Brian Tarrence, a New Yorker who disappeared in Turks and Caicos.
—July 5, CBS News, 5 July 2025
While shelter dogs across the country often face grim odds—particularly those with medical issues or behavioral challenges—Flint's story is a reminder of how a single moment of compassion, amplified online, can lead to lasting change.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for grim
Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025
But the grim, underreported reality is that many working families have already left New York City, or are on the brink of leaving, because they’ve been priced out of raising their children here.
—Reshma Saujani, New York Daily News, 6 July 2025
Investigators have made a grim discovery during the search for Brian Tarrence, a New Yorker who disappeared in Turks and Caicos.
—July 5, CBS News, 5 July 2025
While shelter dogs across the country often face grim odds—particularly those with medical issues or behavioral challenges—Flint's story is a reminder of how a single moment of compassion, amplified online, can lead to lasting change.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 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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The mask fully blocks out the harsh cabin lighting and that inevitable sunrise glow before landing.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
10 July 2025
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Before Getting Started When cleaning your oven, try to avoid using harsh oven cleaners or using the self-cleaning feature.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Golden State has relentless rebounders and hard-nosed defenders at every position.—
Devin Robertson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 July 2025
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Christina has become the latest target of this troubling phenomenon — subjected to relentless personal attacks and sexist scrutiny that ignore the legal process entirely.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
4 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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As the bow and stern sections tore free from one another, the ship’s contents were ejected and rained down across the ocean floor, dispersing everything from luggage and dinnerware to engine parts and personal belongings.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
6 July 2025
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The affable Carroll was the polar opposite of the stern hard-driving Parcells.—
Tribune Content Agency,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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But after rookie third baseman Ronny Mauricio made an exceptionally tough double play to end a two-on, one-out threat in the bottom of the eighth, there was no way the Mets were losing.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
9 July 2025
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The tough part is deciding between a leather sofa or a plush number made with performance fabric.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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But that doesn't diminish the emotional payoff of watching its determined hero tackle (no pun intended) one obstacle after another.—
Sophie van Bastelaer,
EW.com,
7 July 2025
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The winner of the Kansas City Regional will advance to the TBT quarterfinals on July 28 at a yet to be determined location.—
Gary Bedore
July 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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On the wall behind her, Gauguin has painted glyphs like those discovered on Easter Island, and a masked female figure, ferocious and bare-breasted.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
11 July 2025
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Last time around, the titular Addams Family member, portrayed by Jenna Ortega, saved Nevermore by solving the mystery of the Hyde’s identity and putting a stop to the ferocious creature.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grim. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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