grimdark
grim·dark/ˈɡɹɪmˌdɑɹk/adjective, noun
grimdark is spelled G-R-I-M-D-A-R-K: 8 letters and 2 syllables (grim·dark). It appears about once in every 30 million words in written English, the 165,739th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, grimdark means “Of a film, television programme, video game, written work, etc.: having a gloomy, dystopian atmosphere” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in grimdark?
| Letters | 8: G-R-I-M-D-A-R-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: grim·dark |
| In writing | about once in every 30 million words; the 165,739th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is grimdark?
Grimdark appears about once in every 30 million words in written English, the 165,739th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce grimdark?
- UK /ˈɡɹɪmdɑːk/
- US /ˈɡɹɪmˌdɑɹk/
Grimdark has 2 syllables, split grim·dark in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-grimdark.wav, En-us-grimdark.oga, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of grimdark
- more grimdark comparative
- most grimdark superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does grimdark mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
slangOf a film, television programme, video game, written work, etc.: having a gloomy, dystopian atmosphere.
noun
- 1
The literary genre of speculative fiction that is amoral, dystopian, or violent.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Grimdark in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does grimdark come from?
From grim (adjective) + dark (adjective), inspired by the tagline of the tabletop strategy game Warhammer 40,000 (its rulebook first published in September 1987): In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).