View synonyms for grimly

grimly

[ grim-lee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adverb

in a stern, sinister, fierce, or forbidding way:
The mood has turned bleak here as the populace prepares grimly for a period of prolonged hardship and, they fear, war.
For many years, art was forbidden in the country unless it was grimly, dully figurative or a gaudy mural glorifying the dictator’s regime.

Origin of grimly¹

First recorded before 1000; grim ( def ) + -ly ( def )

Walmart is actually defying the logic embraced so grimly by Sears, Kmart, and millions of citizen-shoppers.

“Girls who are abducted or recruited, many are ... assigned to officers,” Whitaker explained grimly.

Savage Coast uses this technique to great effect, especially as the novel builds to its determined, grimly triumphant dénouement.

Libertarians, of course, have grimly wished a pox on both their houses of Congress.

Ross Douthat has a grimly ironic take on sequestration: Yes it's dumb, but so are we.

He towered grimly above her, shaking a threatening finger in her very face.

"I don't care whether he has two thousand or five thousand; I am going to catch him and make him fight," said McNeil, grimly.

Belle smiled up at him and moved her check to the edge of her table as Darry rather grimly bade her good-night.

"Of course, no good woman wants to be Mrs. Whiskey Weston," said my friend grimly.

He kept on grimly, however, never deviating from his perspective, which was the swampy ground on the outer curve of the bend.

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