gravest

ADJECTIVE

serious; gloomy

Synonyms

STRONG

dignified dull earnest heavy muted quiet sage sedate sober subdued

WEAK

cold sober deadpan dour grim grim-faced leaden long-faced meaningful no-nonsense ponderous sad saturnine solemn somber staid strictly business thoughtful unsmiling

Antonyms

STRONG

agitated boisterous excited light lively trivial unimportant

WEAK

cheerful frivolous funny happy inconsequential ridiculous silly

ADJECTIVE

crucial, dangerous

Synonyms

STRONG

acute fell heavy killing major pressing threatening

WEAK

afflictive consequential critical deadly destructive dire exigent fatal grievous hazardous important life-and-death momentous of great consequence ominous perilous serious severe significant ugly urgent vital weighty

Antonyms

STRONG

insignificant little small trivial unimportant

WEAK

cheerful frivolous funny happy inconsequential ridiculous silly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If the gravest nuclear threats can be taken off the table for many more years, the need for a deal with Iran declines.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

TOKYO—One of the major surprises about the gravest energy shock since the 1970s is how resilient much of the world has been so far.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Asia faces the gravest fallout from the war and is confronting a major energy crisis, the head of global maritime analytics firm Kpler told AFP on Tuesday.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Critics have also voiced concern about the classification of African enslavement as "the gravest crime against humanity".

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

“The world went in ignorance of one of the gravest dangers that ever threatened the human race.”

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow