grim

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɡɹɪm/ UK /ɡɹɪm/ See IPA manual

Freq #8350

Meanings

1

adj
Worrying, unpleasant, and offering little hope.

The doctor gave us the grim news quietly.
2

adj
Looking serious and stern, often because of bad news or hard effort.

His grim expression told us something was wrong.
3

adj
Determined and unwilling to give up.

With grim determination, she finished the race.
4

adj
Very unpleasant or disgusting (informal).

The kitchen was filthy; it was absolutely grim.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · worrying, unpleasant, and... bleak dire cheerless

2 adj · looking serious and stern,... stern

3 adj · determined and unwilling to... relentless unrelenting inexorable

4 adj · very unpleasant or... ghastly disgusting foul

Word family

Forms grimmergrimmestgrimnessgrims

Derived forms grim-gramgrim-the-colliergrimdarkgrimfulgrimlessgrimlikegrimlygrimmishgrimnessgrimsome

Appears in

Phrases (3)

See all

Simplified etymology

Grim comes from Old English, where it meant “fierce or cruel,” and its force has weakened over the centuries. It was used early for the forbidding appearance of the figure of Death, and Grim Reaper, recorded from the mid-19th century, names Death represented as a cloaked skeleton carrying a long scythe.

Etymology

From Middle English grim, grym, greme, from Old English *grimu, *grimmu, grima, from Proto-Germanic *grimmį̄ (“anger, wrath”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrem- (“to resound, thunder, grumble, roar”). Cognate with Middle Dutch grimme, Middle High German grimme f (“anger”), modern German Grimm m.

grim Middle English *grimu Old English *grimmį̄ Proto-Germanic *gʰrem- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Register & Style

External links

# grim

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɡɹɪm/
**IPA (UK):** /ɡɹɪm/
**Frequency rank:** 8350

## Meanings
1. Worrying, unpleasant, and offering little hope.
2. Looking serious and stern, often because of bad news or hard effort.
3. Determined and unwilling to give up.
4. Very unpleasant or disgusting (informal).

## Examples
- The doctor gave us the grim news quietly.
- His grim expression told us something was wrong.
- With grim determination, she finished the race.
- The kitchen was filthy; it was absolutely grim.

## Derived Forms
- grim-gram
- grim-the-collier
- grimdark
- grimful
- grimless
- grimlike
- grimly
- grimmish
- grimness
- grimsome

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: grim
- Root: *grimu
- Root: *grimmį̄
- Root: *gʰrem-

## Etymology
From Middle English grim, grym, greme, from Old English *grimu, *grimmu, grima, from Proto-Germanic *grimmį̄ (“anger, wrath”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrem- (“to resound, thunder, grumble, roar”). Cognate with Middle Dutch grimme, Middle High German grimme f (“anger”), modern German Grimm m.

## AI Etymology
Grim comes from Middle English grim, grym, greme, from Old English *grimu, *grimmu, grima, from Proto-Germanic *grimmį̄ (“anger, wrath”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrem- (“to resound, thunder, grumble, roar”). Cognate with Middle Dutch grimme, Middle High German grimme f (“anger”), modern German Grimm m. In current use, the main senses are “Worrying, unpleasant, and offering little hope” and “Looking serious and stern, often because of bad news or hard effort”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Register & Style

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