grievous

Adjective

• 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
    

• 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
    

• causing or marked by grief or anguish
  • a grievous loss
    
  • a grievous cry
    
  • her sigh was heartbreaking
    
  • the heartrending words of Rabin's granddaughter
    

• 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
    
  • a life-threatening disease
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  atrocious , flagitious , monstrous , grave , heavy , weighty , heartbreaking , heartrending , dangerous , serious , severe , life-threatening