Definition

Causing a strong feeling of fear or disgust; very frightening or horrible.

Example

The grisly scene in the movie made many viewers feel uneasy.

Conversation

Did you hear about that new horror movie?

Yeah, I heard it's supposed to be pretty grisly.

I can't believe people enjoy watching such grisly scenes on screen.

Right? It’s fascinating how some people are drawn to that kind of stuff.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Grisly originates from Old English 'grislic', meaning fearful or horrible. The word is formed from 'gris' (meaning fear) and the suffix '-ly' (meaning in a manner of). Thus, grisly describes something that is fearfully horrible or gruesome.

Memory Tip

Think of something that inspires 'fear' ('gris') and is described 'in a manner of' ('-ly') — that's why grisly means something that is fearfully horrible.

Visually Confused Words