1
as in harsh
difficult to endure
the months of chemotherapy seemed almost as grievous an affliction as the cancer itself
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2
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
the death of a spouse can be a grievous loss from which one never recovers
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3
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury
a grievous wound that requires a doctor's immediate attention
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4
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
the grievous cost of the war in human lives weighed heavily on the president's mind
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grievous
Trump's pardons included those convicted of attacking police officers, sometimes causing grievous injuries.
—
Susan Page, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
Quarantining healthy, low-risk populations was a grievous error, as was closing schools for two years.
—Josh Mazer, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2025
The Trump administration is trying to frame energy production as something in grievous danger, with the U.S. someone on the edge of energy insecurity.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
The cultural historian Barbara Ehrenreich contended that the existence of mass festivals can be a tonic for grievous states of melancholia and widespread disenchantment.
—Barrett Swanson, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Susan Page, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025
Quarantining healthy, low-risk populations was a grievous error, as was closing schools for two years.
—Josh Mazer, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2025
The Trump administration is trying to frame energy production as something in grievous danger, with the U.S. someone on the edge of energy insecurity.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
The cultural historian Barbara Ehrenreich contended that the existence of mass festivals can be a tonic for grievous states of melancholia and widespread disenchantment.
—Barrett Swanson, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grievous
Adjective
-
Unlike Western cleansers, which often rely on harsh surfactants or astringent ingredients, Korean ones maintain the skin’s moisture barrier and natural pH balance, says Cho.—
Denise Primbet,
Glamour,
28 Feb. 2025
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Her lyric vocal writing contends with harsh reality, but her style is never far from profound rapture.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Throughout her childhood, Dee Dee subjected her Gypsy-Rose to years of painful medical procedures that were not needed.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Whether a client hires a single architect to design a house or a team to work on a downtown plan with multiple community stakeholders, the architect-client relationship is rarely one of a painful struggle.—
Matt Shaw,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The 400-mile race is scheduled to start on Sunday after it was delayed by more than a month due to warm temperatures and a dangerous trail.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2025
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Freezing temperatures can endanger health, particularly of vulnerable groups like children and the elderly, whilst snow can lead to dangerous driving conditions.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The documentary explores tragic teenage murders that gained global attention, including the deaths of British footballer Charlie Cosser and American cheerleader Tristyn Bailey.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
26 Feb. 2025
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And then everything changed due to the pandemic and the great Helen McCrory’s tragic passing.—
Brian Davids,
The Hollywood Reporter,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Hackman’s searing turn as the hyper, gum-smacking Doyle in the documentary-style French Connection distinguished him as a leading man.—
Duane Byrge,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Feb. 2025
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Bouchard’s five-on-five on-ice outscoring is a searing total.—
Allan Mitchell,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Immigration advocates call the crackdown cruel and wrongheaded and warn that many Latino U.S. citizens will likely suffer violations of their civil rights and possibly even get mistakenly deported.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2025
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As mere surrogates, the Trump-DeSantis fight to outdo each other through mean and cruel policies will go on.—
Letters to the Editor,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Periods of intense snowfall are possible in parts of central and southern WY, leading to possibly hazardous travel at times.—
Tommy Tuberville,
Newsweek,
7 Mar. 2025
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The salad bar did not have time labels for potentially hazardous foods kept out of temperature control.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacramento Bee,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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On Monday evening, within hours of learning of the directive, some state workers called the order stupid and unfortunate.—
William Melhado,
Sacramento Bee,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Christie suffered from acute seasickness, unfortunate considering her trips to each continent were by ship.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grievous. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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