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Meaning & use

grim

adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ɡrɪm/
US/ɡrɪm/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Gloomy and unpleasant, with little hope of improvement.

    Grammar: Describes news, a situation or an outlook: grim news; the outlook is grim.

    Patterns

    • grim news
    • a grim outlook
    • look grim

    The doctor gave us grim news about the test.

    The outlook for the farm is grim after the drought.

    It was a grim day of rain and cold.

  2. adjectivecomparable

    Serious and stern in appearance or manner, often showing strong determination.

    Grammar: Describes a face, mood or expression: a grim face.

    Patterns

    • grim determination
    • a grim expression

    The captain wore a grim expression.

    She nodded with grim determination and began again.

    His grim face told us everything.

  3. adjectivecomparableinformalBritish

    Unpleasant to see or experience, especially because of poor quality or dirty conditions.

    Grammar: Informal in British English: the hotel was grim.

    Patterns

    • feel grim
    • look grim

    The motel room was grim, with stained walls.

    I felt grim after the long trip.

    The office canteen food is grim.

Word forms

comparativegrimmer
superlativegrimmest

Common combinations

grim reminder
The flood was a grim reminder of nature's power.
grim reality
The grim reality is that we may lose the farm.
grim news
Grim news reached the village at dawn.
grim determination
She worked with grim determination.
look grim
Things look grim for the team.

Synonyms and how they differ

bleak
Bleak stresses emptiness and lack of hope, while grim suggests harshness and sternness.
gloomy
Gloomy is softer and suggests sadness or darkness, not necessarily danger.
dire
Dire stresses serious danger or urgency.
stern
Stern describes a serious manner in a person and is not used for bad situations.

Opposites

cheerfulhopeful

Word family

grimly adverb
in a stern or hopeless way
grimness noun
the quality of being grim
grimace noun
an ugly face made in pain or disgust
grimy adjective
covered with dirt

Commonly confused: grim or grimy?

grim vs grimy

Grimy means covered in dirt, while grim means gloomy or stern.

Practice

The doctor looked ___ as she explained the test results.

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