/grim/

 

/grim/

-) Adjective. 

-) Pronunciation: grɪm.

-) Etymology: from Old English grim (= fierce, cruel).

-) Comparative form: grimmer.

-) Superlative form: grimmest.

-) It is dated from the end of 900.

-)1. Pristine signification: (of an animated being, as a person, a lion, etc.) of formidably violent temper; intractable because of its (her, his) constitutional anger or hostility.

-) Synonyms for “grim”: fierce, cruel, ferocious.

-) Antonyms of “grim”: mild, kind, gracious, merciful.

-) Translation: feroz, in Spanish; feroce, in Italian; féroce, in French.

The eyes are large and fierce; the limbs are of great strength; and the appearance of the animal is altogether exceedingly grim, savage, and formidable.

Oliver Goldsmith… A history of the earth… 1774

[…] they were huddled together like sheep, or rather like a pack of grim wolves surrounded by the hunters.

John Harwood… Stamboul and the sea of gems 1852

-) 2. (Of determination, purpose, etc.) comparable in earnestness to that of a savage animal; this is, not resulting from jocular purpose, or from trifling mood, but from a like life-or-death motive.

-) Synonyms: stern, unrelenting, resolute, unyielding, unflinching, determined.

-) Antonyms: unresolute, undeterminated, irresolute.

[…] the youth smiled assent to the grim demands of the insurgents.

Eyre Crowe… Today in Ireland 1826

[…] cold made the operation of the shovels very expensive, and on many days it was absolutely impossible to use them. No large machinery could reach the site, and small dump cars pushed by hand were the only means of removing the material. Such difficulties would have daunted men of any less grim determination.

Harriet Salt… Mighty Engineering Feats 1937

-) 3. Metaphor: (of a disease, a wound, a pain, etc.) of such a state, or quality, as not to trifle with it, but to be careful, as if it were a feracious animal.

[…] not one person, attacked by the grim disease, had recovered.

Mary Shelley… The Last Man 1826

Again I mounted the elephant, and jogged on in grim pain, my companion sleeping soundly all the time.

William Russell… My diary in India 1860

-) 4. a. (Of a person) with such a countenance, or with such a behavior, as to resemble a feracious animal; this is, from whose countenance, or from whose behavior, is inferrible that his (her) mood or disposition is not to trifle or play with anyone, but to behave severely or aggressively. b. (Of a look, stare, aspect, etc.) manifestative, or suggestive, of grimness.

-) Antonyms: lenient, benign, merciful, sympathetic, soft, kind, kindly, amiable, congenial, mild, gracious, happy, cheerful, joyful, gay, merry.

-) Synonyms: stern, ungracious, unsympathetic, unkind, unkindly, ungenial, uncongenial, grumpy, sulky, scowling, morose, fierce-looking.

-) Translation: torvo, in Spanish; torvo, in Italian; torve, in French.

[…] he looked grim with indignation.

George Smollet… The miscellaneous Works 1800

Miss Ophelia sat down, and pulled out her knitting-work, and sat there grim with indignation.

Harriet Stowe… Uncle Tom’s Cabin 1852

‘Welcome, traitor, as men say,’ was the captain’s grim and not very respectful salutation.

Charles Dickens… A child’s history 1852

[…] the door was softly opened, and [… Arthur] saw his uncle the king standing in the shadow of the archway, looking very grim.

Charles Dickens… A child’s history 1853

The major characteristics discoverable by the stranger in Mr F.'s Aunt, were extreme severity and grim taciturnity.

Charles Dickens… Little Dorrit 1855-1857

During the lull which followed this obliging proposal we saddled our mules and rode off, in the grimmest of humours, loudly cursing the craven churls who knew not the value of a guest.

Richard Burton… First footsteps in East Africa 1856

She did pity the Davis girls, who were awkward, plain, and destitute of escort, except a grim papa and three grimmer maiden aunts.

Louisa Alcott… Little Women 1868

Miss Pew was grimmer of aspect and louder of voice than usual, and it was felt that, at the slightest provocation, she might send forth an edict revoking all her invitations. 

Mary Braddon… The Golden Calf 1883

Fareham’s appearance at Court caused more surprise than pleasure […]. The statue of the Comandante would scarcely have seemed a grimmer guest. He was there in the midst of laughter and delight, with never a smile upon his stern features.

Mary Braddon… London Pride 1896

Winston sat down and opened the first envelope under the big lamp. It was from a land agent and mortgage broker, and his face [… became] a trifle grimmer as he read.

Harold Bindloss… Winston of the Prairie 1907

-) In this acceptation, grim is found in combination with another adjective, both being hyphened:

“Any one hurt?” cried a voice behind me; and looking round as I sprang to my feet, I found myself in a long horizontal passage or narrow gallery, with a grim-looking miner approaching me with a lantern in one hand.

Charles Hoffman… A winter in the West 1835

Mr. Herbert was at a loss what to make of this passionate remonstrance, until his arm was twitched by a grim-featured person among the Yellows.

Tait’s Edinburgh magazine, vol. 7 1840?

[…] a tall, loud, grim-faced, wide-mouthed man.

Howitt’s journal of literature, vol. 2 1847?

[David] took his own peculiar mode of venting his displeasure by treating his hard-featured, grim-visaged wife with open neglect.

Ballou’s dollar monthly magazine, vol. 6 1857?

I was called at an early hour in the morning by a tall grim-visaged monk.

The metropolitan magazine, vol. 8 1898?

-) 5. Metaphor: (of the remains from a once-animated being, of something imitative of an animated being) whose features resemble either grimness or fierceness.

[…] nothing was to be seen, except the grim figures in the tapestry, which seemed to frown upon me, as I looked at them.

Ann Radcliffe… The Mysteries of Udolpho 1794

The Giants' Hall was a Gothic chamber of imposing appearance; the oaken rafters of the curiously-carved roof rested on the grim heads of gigantic figures of the same material.

Benjamin Disraeli… Vivian Grey 1826

Some skeletons are preserved entire, in due connection of parts, and are laid out in the dress of the order —the grim and bony visage, with lipless mouth, […] and eyeless orbs being alone exposed to view.

Benjamin Silliman… A visit to Europe… 1851

On the mantelshelf were a couple of skulls, looking very yellow and grim, and asserted by our butler to be those of his luckless progenitors.

William Ainsworth… Mervyn 1858

-) 6. Metaphor: (of something corporeal, but unanimated) so ugly or horrifying as to keep off the looker.

[…] The discoloured trunks of some of the grim trees.

Charles Dickens… David Copperfield 1849

They mounted up and up, through the musty smell of an old close house, little used, to a large garret bed-room. Meagre and spare, like all the other rooms, it was even uglier and grimmer than the rest, by being the place of banishment for the worn-out furniture.

Charles Dickens… Little Dorrit 1857

The great door clanged behind him, and Monsieur the Marquis crossed a hall grim with certain old boar-spears, swords, and knives of the chase; grimmer with certain heavy riding-rods and riding-whips.

Charles Dickens… A Tale of Two Cities 1859

Grim doors, with conspicuous scrolled hinges, having high up on each side of them a small window defended by iron bars, opened on a groined entrance-court, empty of everything but a massive lamp-iron suspended from the centre of the groin.

George Eliot… Romola 1862

There was a door open; she looked in, and saw grim emptiness.

George Eliot… Romola 1862

-) 7. Metaphor: (of a laughter, a smile, etc.) implying malignancy, severity or grimness, notwithstanding the gestural inconsistency.

-) Synonym: sinister.

This was readily granted by Duke Charles, with one of those grim smiles of which it was impossible to say whether it meant good or harm to the party whom it concerned.

Walter Scott… Quentin Durward 1823

At first, I disliked him from his somewhat grim and sarcastic expression; […] but I was completely mistaken, and found him very kind- hearted, pleasant, and with a good stock of humour.

More Letters of Charles Darwin 1862

“You call me murderer,” said Obenreizer, with a grim laugh.

C. Dickens and W. Collins… No Thoroughfare 1867

Mr. Henry smiled to himself; a grimmer smile I never witnessed.

Robert Stevenson… The Master of Ballantrae 1888

-) 7. (Of a tale, jest, etc.) whose subject is violence, death, or anything very unpleasant. Extensively: (of anything incorporeal) unpleasant.

All the way from the frontier I had heard grim tales of torture and mutilation.

Arthur Doyle… The Adventures of Gerard 1903

-) English words derived from GRIM: grimness, grim (verb trans.), grimly.