grievous
adjective
1. causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
- grievous bodily harm
Similar word(s): critical, dangerous, grave, serious, severe
2. causing or marked by grief or anguish
- a grievous loss
- a grievous cry
Similar word(s): sorrowful, heartbreaking, heartrending
3. of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious thought
- a grievous fault
Similar word(s): important, grave, heavy, weighty
4. shockingly brutal or cruel
- a grievous offense against morality
- a grievous crime
Similar word(s): evil, atrocious, flagitious, monstrous