grim
🇬🇧 /ˈgrɪm/
🇺🇸 /ˈgrɪm/
📖 Definitions
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adjective
Forbidding or uninviting in appearance; stern and gloomy.; Causing fear, horror, or dread; sinister and threatening.; Showing stern, unrelenting, or fierce determination; unyielding.; Harsh, unpleasant, or depressing; bleak.; Morbid or macabre; relating to death or something ghastly.; Unpleasant or disagreeable; unwelcome.
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noun
A specter or ghost, especially one that is terrifying.; A fierce or stern-looking person.
🔗 Details
Word forms
Comparative: grimmer
Superlative: grimmost, most grim
Collocations
grim realitygrim remindergrim determinationgrim outlookthe Grim Reapergrim newsgrim prospect
Derivatives
grimlygrimness
Synonyms
sternharshbleakdismalforbiddingsomberdire
Antonyms
cheerfulpleasantbrightoptimistic
Commonly confused
grime
EN: 'Grime' is a noun meaning ingrained dirt or filth; 'grim' is an adjective meaning stern, gloomy, or forbidding.
grimace
EN: 'Grimace' is a noun/verb referring to a twisted facial expression; 'grim' is an adjective describing a stern or bleak quality.
Spelling tips
EN: Do not confuse 'grim' (adjective meaning stern/bleak) with 'grime' (noun meaning dirt). Note the silent 'e' in 'grime' changes both meaning and part of speech.
💬 Examples
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The grim landscape of the industrial town stretched out before us.
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The detective had a grim realization about the true nature of the crime.
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She had a grim determination to finish the marathon despite her injury.
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The economic outlook for the region remains grim.
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The old castle had a grim history of executions and torture.
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The doctor delivered the grim news with a heavy sigh.
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The villagers spoke of a grim that haunted the old churchyard at night.
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The old headmaster was a real grim who never smiled at the students.