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Definition of "grim" []

  • Unrelenting; rigid. (adjective)
  • Uninviting or unnerving in aspect; forbidding: "undoubtedly the grimmest part of him was his iron claw” ( J.M. Barrie). (adjective)
  • Ghastly; sinister: "He made a grim jest at the horrifying nature of his wound” ( Reginald Pound). See Synonyms at ghastly. (adjective)
  • Dismal; gloomy: a grim, rainy day. (adjective)
  • Ferocious; savage: the grim advance of the pillaging army. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "grim" in a sentence
  • "Her dark curls were disheveled, her expression grim and making her look every one of her fifty-plus years."
  • "Detective Hauer was there, his expression grim as he watched the proceedings."
  • "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."