A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1599
[0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Grim, Grym, a. and adv. Also: grym(m)e. [ME. grym, grim, OE. grim, ON. grimm-r.]
1. Of persons, animals, looks, or appearance: Grim, fierce, stern.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxviii. 39.
Thar-at richt gryme wes the king c1450-2 Howlat 313.
Thar was the egill so grym, … most awfull in erd c1450-2 Ib. 617.
The rouch wodwys wyld, … grym in effeir c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace v. 1103.
Quhat bellamy may thow be, That cummys so grym? a1500 Golagros and Gawane 86.
With that come girdand in greif ane woundir grym sire 1513 Doug. iii. ix. 108.
The grym Ciclopes 1513 Ib. v. i. 67.
Acestes … Ful grym of luke 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 2703.
In Plutois palice … to be president Amang that graceles garisoun sa grim a1568 Scott ii. 131.
Now is the growme, that wes so grym, Rycht glaid to leif in lie a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS xxxv. 12.
Ane greit grim man 1590 Criminal Trials I. 211.
[The devil] desyrit him nocht to feir, thocht he wes grymmeabsol. c1450-2 Howlat 369.
Of pure gold was the ground quhar the grym hovit a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow i. 174.
Mony long tuthit bore … , The gray, the gorot and the grym 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4465.
The Feind ressaue that graceles grym [B. gane](2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 98.
With gor his tua grym ene ar gladderit all about 1513 Doug. xii. xii. 68.
Abundans of blude … That can do wesch … Thar grym nekkis 1513 Ib. vi. ix. 160.
Scho [sc. a Fury] … Fleyis thame with flambe, grym luke and vgly cryis
2. Causing or suffering severe pain. 1535 Stewart 9602.
Quhilk sall nocht schrink … Or for na grym wound other grym or grow c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5576.
Euerilk thyng that did hym deire The tyme of his grym passioun 1587-99 Hume 95/49.
For I was grim and brocht wondrous lowe with paine in my flesh
3. adv. Grimly. c1450-2 Howlat 53.
He grat grysly grym and gaif a gret ȝowle a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow i. 157.
This pig quhen thay hard him Thay come golfand full grim
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Grim adj., adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/grim_adj_adv>
