grievous (
http://definr.com/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]