Grimm

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A surname of notable figures in literature, particularly associated with folklorists who compiled fairy tales
2. Describing a style or theme that is dark, gloomy, and brooding in nature
3. Pertaining to narratives or characters that evoke a sense of foreboding and moral lessons often found in folklore

Etymology: Grimm, as an adjective in English, is borrowed directly from German, where it is the surname of the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, the scholars who collected and published the folk tales now known in English as "Grimm's Fairy Tales." Their collection gave the name to a whole mood: stories where forests hide danger, wicked stepmothers and witches are punished in brutal ways, and children who stray from the path pay for it. The adjective draws its force from that reputation rather than from any meaning in German itself. The surname is the source of the English word, so the word's sense of gloom is essentially a tribute to the brothers' collection. Readers who meet "grimm" in English usually encounter it as a description of a story or a tone, not as a reference to the people who gathered the tales.

Synonyms: grim

Antonyms: cheerful, joyful