Grimsome

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Causing fear or revulsion through a ghastly, gruesome, or macabre appearance or nature
2. Conveying a sense of horror or disgust due to a horrifyingly vivid or grotesque quality
3. Evoking feelings of dread or repulsion, particularly through a strikingly grim or ghastly character

Etymology: "Grimsome" is simply "grim" with the suffix "-some" added. "Grim" is an old English word, going back to Old English "grim," meaning fierce, savage or cruel, and the "-some" suffix, which is also Old English in origin, forms adjectives meaning "having a quality to a notable degree," as in "awesome" or "handsome." Put together, the word describes something that is grim to the point of being frightening or horrifying to look at. The suffix is far more productive than this rare adjective suggests. English has long attached "-some" to adjectives and nouns to form new descriptive words, and many of these, such as "lonesome" and "tiresome," remain in everyday use. "Grimsome" belongs to the less common end of that family, and its appearance in the language is a matter of straightforward word-building rather than any notable story of coinage.

Synonyms: grim, ghastly, frightening

Antonyms: cheerful, pleasant