Wiktionary

grim

See also: Grim and -grim-

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English grim, from Old English grimm, from Proto-West Germanic *grimm, from Proto-Germanic *grimmaz, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrem- (“to resound, thunder, grumble, roar”).

Adjective

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grim (comparative grimmer, superlative grimmest)

  1. Dismal and gloomy, cold and forbidding.
    Synonyms: bleak, harsh; see also Thesaurus:cheerless, Thesaurus:stern
    Life was grim in many northern industrial towns.
    • 2019 August 30, Jonathan Watts, “Amazon fires show world heading for point of no return, says UN”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian‎[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC:
      Cristiana Paşca Palmer, the executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, said the destruction of the world’s biggest rainforest was a grim reminder that a fresh approach needed to stabilise the climate and prevent ecosystems from declining to a point of no return, with dire consequences for humanity.
      (Can we archive this URL?)
    • 2022 January 12, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Unhappy start to 2022”, in RAIL, number 948, page 3:
      It's been a grim start to the year.
  2. Rigid and unrelenting.
    Synonyms: overwhelming, unbending; see also Thesaurus:hard, Thesaurus:relentless
    His grim determination enabled him to win.
  3. Ghastly or sinister.
    Synonyms: forboding, malevolent; see also Thesaurus:evil, Thesaurus:eerie
    A grim castle overshadowed the village.
  4. Disgusting; gross.
    Synonyms: foul, loathsome; see also Thesaurus:unpleasant
    – Wanna see the dead rat I found in my fridge?
    – Mate, that is grim!
  5. (obsolete) Fierce, cruel, furious.
    Synonyms: ferocious, raging, savage, violent
Derived terms
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Translations
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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

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grim (third-person singular simple present grims, present participle grimming, simple past and past participle grimmed)

  1. (transitive, rare) To make grim; to give a stern or forbidding aspect to.

Noun

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grim (plural grims)

  1. (MLE, slang, probably a fashionable word around 2006, now dated) A promiscuous woman.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:promiscuous woman
    • 2006 July 1, “Grim” (track 8), in Wiley (lyrics), Eskiboy: Da 2nd Phaze‎[3]:
      You got a new girl and she looks choong (Choong)
      But you didn't know your girl was a grim
      […]
      Your girl she's a grim, I wouldn't have no grim as my ting

Etymology 2

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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.

Noun

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grim (countable and uncountable, plural grims)

  1. (obsolete) Anger, wrath.
  2. (obsolete) A specter, ghost, haunting spirit.
Derived terms
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Danish

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Etymology

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From Old Norse grimmr, from Proto-Germanic *grimmaz.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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grim

  1. ugly, unsightly
  2. nasty

Inflection

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Inflection of grim
positive comparative superlative
indefinite common singular grim grimmere grimmest2
indefinite neuter singular grimt grimmere grimmest2
plural grimme grimmere grimmest2
definite attributive1 grimme grimmere grimmeste

1 When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite,
the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
2 The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

Dutch

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Etymology

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From Middle Dutch grim, from Old Dutch grim, from Proto-West Germanic *grimm, from Proto-Germanic *grimmaz. Very uncommon in modern Dutch; recent usage may be influenced by English grim.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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grim (comparative grimmer, superlative grimst)

  1. (uncommon) grim
    Synonym: grimmig (more common)

Declension

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Declension of grim
uninflected grim
inflected grimme
comparative grimmer
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial grim grimmer het grimst
het grimste
indefinite m./f. sing. grimme grimmere grimste
n. sing. grim grimmer grimste
plural grimme grimmere grimste
definite grimme grimmere grimste
partitive grims grimmers —

Derived terms

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Kalasha

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Verb

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grim

  1. taking

Norwegian Nynorsk

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Etymology 1

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From Old Norse grimmr, from Proto-Germanic *grimmaz.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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grim (masculine and feminine grim, neuter grimt, definite singular and plural grimme, comparative grimmare, superlative grimmast, definite superlative grimmaste)

  1. grim, ugly, unsightly
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Etymology 2

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From Old Norse grímr.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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grim m (definite singular grimen, indefinite plural grimar, definite plural grimane)

  1. (folklore) a kind of wight
Derived terms
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Etymology 3

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See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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grim

  1. imperative of grime

References

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Old Dutch

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Etymology

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From Proto-West Germanic *grimm, from Proto-Germanic *grimmaz.

Adjective

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grim

  1. evil
  2. fearsome, terrifying

Inflection

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Declension of grim (a-stem)
strong declension
case masculine feminine neuter plural
nominative grim grim grim grimma, grimme
accusative grimman, grimmen grimma grim grimma, grimme
genitive grimmes grimmero grimmes grimmero
dative grimmin, grimmemo grimmero grimmin, grimmemo grimmon
weak declension
case masculine feminine neuter plural
nominative grimmo grimma grimma grimmon
accusative grimmon grimmon grimma grimmon
genitive grimmin grimmon grimmin grimmono
dative grimmin grimmon grimmin grimmon

Descendants

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  • Middle Dutch: grim

References

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  • “grim, gram”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old English

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Pronunciation

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Adjective

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grim (superlative grimmest)

  1. Alternative form of grimm

Declension

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Declension of grim — Strong
Singular Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative grim grim grim
Accusative grimne grimme grim
Genitive grimmes grimre grimmes
Dative grimmum grimre grimmum
Instrumental grimme grimre grimme
Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative grimme grimma, grimme grim
Accusative grimme grimma, grimme grim
Genitive grimra grimra grimra
Dative grimmum grimmum grimmum
Instrumental grimmum grimmum grimmum
Declension of grim — Weak
Singular Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative grimma grimme grimme
Accusative grimman grimman grimme
Genitive grimman grimman grimman
Dative grimman grimman grimman
Instrumental grimman grimman grimman
Plural Masculine Feminine Neuter
Nominative grimman grimman grimman
Accusative grimman grimman grimman
Genitive grimra, grimmena grimra, grimmena grimra, grimmena
Dative grimmum grimmum grimmum
Instrumental grimmum grimmum grimmum
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