GRIM Synonyms: 285 Similar and Opposite Words

grim

adjective

ˈgrim

Definition of grim

as in gruff

harsh and threatening in manner or appearance a grim and desolate landscape a grim and short-tempered shopkeeper who didn't exactly invite friendly conversation

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in harsh

difficult to endure this winter is supposed to be particularly grim, so stock up on firewood

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in relentless

showing no signs of slackening or yielding in one's purpose with grim determination, the woman worked three jobs to put her fatherless children through college

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in savage

violently unfriendly or aggressive in disposition grim warriors heading into battle

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of grim There’s a certain grim candor about the president’s palatial ambitions for the executive mansion. — Jason Willick, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2026 The land forces of Germany, France, and Britain had been facing one another since war was declared on September 1, 1939, until the standoff became something of a grim joke. — David Szondy august 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026 The Michigan Senate election has presented liberals with a grim choice. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026 Other injuries revealed more grim realities of a Revolutionary War battlefield, such as the Pennsylvania Navy’s use of bar and chain shot as ammunition. — Jennifer Janofsky, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grim

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grim

Adjective

Bob Hoskins’s gruff detective, Eddie Valiant, sees them as a sometimes-dangerous nuisance, while conniving film-studio power players see them as moneymakers, and the rest of humanity sees them as shades in between.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Scott, 88, shares the character's worldview, despite the filmmaker’s notoriously gruff exterior.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of gruff

Adjective

Scott London Every year, Black Rock City appears on a dry lakebed in one of Nevada’s harshest areas, then disappears just as fast.

— Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Hig has bunkered down with a grouchy companion, Bangley (Josh Brolin), who thrives in this harsh world.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of harsh

Adjective

Cole, who has to maneuver his way around 20 savage crew members, each of whom will need to be killed, doesn’t waste a homicidal movement.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
The savage battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa had already demonstrated the ferocity with which Japanese forces would defend their homeland.

— James M. Scott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of savage

Adjective

Irving was born in New York City on April 3, 1783, the son of a stern Scottish immigrant who ran a tidy import business selling wine, sugar, and hardware.

— Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
Former President Joe Biden turned to then-CIA Director William Burns to relay stern warnings to Russia before and after President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

— Matthew Mulligan, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of stern

Adjective

Space-grade electronics will cost more, and the ball’s shell—made from a material tough enough to roll over steel shards and withstand minus 184 °C temperatures—has never been evaluated in lunar extremes.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2026
Democratic leaders face tough decisions on where to spend limited party resources to win the Senate majority.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

Sandro Tonali and Adam Wharton were considered as options alongside Anderson and Bouaddi, but Fernandez was the player City were most determined to sign.

— Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
The kitchen is located in the new addition of the house, and Keys was determined to inject it with charm.

— Rachel Wallace, Architectural Digest, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of determined

Adjective

That was the last time Tamang saw Yangri, who was whisked away by ferocious flash floods that ripped through this part of the Himalayan nation earlier this week.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
The run game of Agoura is ferocious and experienced, but Westlake’s QB play is better.

— Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of ferocious

Browse Nearby Words

grills

grim

grimace

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“Grim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grim. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of grim

adjective

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