grim: [OE] Indo-European *ghrem-, *ghromprobably originated in imitation of the sound of rumbling (amongst its descendants was grumins ‘thunder’ in the extinct Baltic language Old Prussian). In Germanic it became *grem-, *gram-, *grum-, which not only produced the adjective *grimmaz (source of German grimm, Swedish grym, and English, Dutch, and Danish grim) and the English verb grumble [16], but was adopted into Spanish as grima ‘fright’, which eventually arrived in English as grimace [17]. => grimace, grumble
grim (adj.)
Old English grimm "fierce, cruel, savage; severe, dire, painful," from Proto-Germanic *grimmaz (cognates: Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Old High German, German grimm "grim, angry, fierce," Old Norse grimmr "stern, horrible, dire," Swedish grym "fierce, furious"), from PIE *ghrem- "angry," perhaps imitative of the sound of rumbling thunder (compare Greek khremizein "to neigh," Old Church Slavonic vuzgrimeti "to thunder," Russian gremet' "thunder").
A weaker word now than it once was; sense of "dreary, gloomy" first recorded late 12c. It also had a verb form in Old English, grimman (class III strong verb; past tense gramm, past participle grummen), and a noun, grima "goblin, specter," perhaps also a proper name or attribute-name of a god, hence its appearance as an element in place names.
Grim reaper as a figurative phrase for "death" is attested by 1847 (the association of grim and death goes back at least to 17c.). A Middle English expression for "have recourse to harsh measures" was to wend the grim tooth (early 13c.).
grim (n.)
"spectre, bogey, haunting spirit," 1620s, from grim (adj.).
例文
1. Psychometric tests can save organizations from grim and costly mistakes.
心理テストは、組織が大きな損失を犯すことを回避することができます。
2.She was a grim woman with a turned-down mouth.
彼女は無口で恐ろしい女だ。
3.The report paints a grim picture of life there.
その記事はそこの生活を凄惨に描いている。
4.Things were pretty grim for a time.
事態は一時最悪だった。
5.The committee walked out, grim -faced and shocked.