grievous

adj 1: causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm; "a

dangerous operation"; "a grave situation"; "a grave

illness"; "grievous bodily harm"; "a serious wound";

"a serious turn of events"; "a severe case of

pneumonia" [syn: {dangerous}, {grave}, {serious}, {severe}]

2: causing or marked by grief or anguish; "a grievous loss"; "a

grievous cry"; "her sigh was heartbreaking"; "the

heartrending words of Rabin's granddaughter" [syn: {heartbreaking},

{heartrending}]

3: of great gravity or crucial import; requiring serious

thought; "grave responsibilities"; "faced a grave decision

in a time of crisis"; "a grievous fault"; "heavy matters

of state"; "the weighty matters to be discussed at the

peace conference" [syn: {grave}, {heavy}, {weighty}]

4: shockingly brutal or cruel; "murder is an atrocious crime";

"a grievous offense against morality"; "a grievous crime";

"no excess was too monstrous for them to commit" [syn: {atrocious},

{flagitious}, {heinous}, {monstrous}]