Standard Lemma guide

grimness

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: G R IH1 M N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The characteristic or quality of being grim.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

something hard to endure

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the asperity of northern winters

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: asperity, hardship, rigor, rigour, severity, severeness, rigorousness, rigourousness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: difficulty, difficultness

Narrower terms: sternness

3

noun

Meaning 3

the quality of being ghastly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ghastliness, gruesomeness, luridness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: frightfulness

History

Etymology

From Middle English grimnesse, from Old English grimnes (“severity, fierceness, cruelty”), equivalent to grim + -ness.