Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Discouraging or depressing.
  • adjective Dismal; gloomy.
  • adjective Stern or forbidding.
  • adjective Repellent or horrifying: synonym: ghastly.
  • adjective Unrelenting or uncompromising.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Anger; wrath.
  • Of a fierce, stern, or forbidding aspect; severe or repellent in appearance or demeanor; fierce; sullen; surly.
  • Stern in character or quality; unyielding; dreadful; formidable: as, grim determination.
  • Marked by harshness or severity; distressful; dolorous; cheerless: as, grim suffering; a grim jest.
  • Synonyms Grisly, Hideous, etc. (see ghastly); severe, harsh, hard.
  • To make grim; give a stern or forbidding aspect to.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of forbidding or fear-inspiring aspect; fierce; stern; surly; cruel; frightful; horrible.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective dismal and gloomy, cold and forbidding
  • adjective rigid and unrelenting
  • adjective ghastly or sinister
  • adjective UK, slang disgusting; gross

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective causing dejection
  • adjective not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
  • adjective filled with melancholy and despondency
  • adjective harshly ironic or sinister
  • adjective shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
  • adjective harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old English, fierce, severe.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old English grim.

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Examples

  • Her dark curls were disheveled, her expression grim and making her look every one of her fifty-plus years.

    Etched in Bone Adrian Phoenix 2011

  • Her dark curls were disheveled, her expression grim and making her look every one of her fifty-plus years.

    Etched in Bone Adrian Phoenix 2011

  • Her dark curls were disheveled, her expression grim and making her look every one of her fifty-plus years.

    Etched in Bone Adrian Phoenix 2011

  • Her dark curls were disheveled, her expression grim and making her look every one of her fifty-plus years.

    Etched in Bone Adrian Phoenix 2011

  • Detective Hauer was there, his expression grim as he watched the proceedings.

    Untouchable Kate Brian 2006

  • Detective Hauer was there, his expression grim as he watched the proceedings.

    Untouchable Kate Brian 2006

  • Slater was too preoccupied to take notice of any of them, his expression grim and haunted as he rode the brake and swung the low-slung sportscar into its stall.

    The Second Time Janet Dailey 2003

  • Slater was too preoccupied to take notice of any of them, his expression grim and haunted as he rode the brake and swung the low-slung sportscar into its stall.

    The Second Time Janet Dailey 2003

  • Slater was too preoccupied to take notice of any of them, his expression grim and haunted as he rode the brake and swung the low-slung sportscar into its stall.

    The Second Time Janet Dailey 2003

  • Slater was too preoccupied to take notice of any of them, his expression grim and haunted as he rode the brake and swung the low-slung sportscar into its stall.

    The Second Time Janet Dailey 2003

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