Grisly, grizzly

Note to people using a screen reader: This article contains homonyms.

On this page

• General information on homophones
• Grisly
• Grizzly
  • “Grizzly” used as an adjective
  • “Grizzly” used as a noun
• Additional information

General information on homophones

Homophones are words that are pronounced the same way but have different meanings. (For more information, read our writing tip “Homonyms, homophones, homographs.”)

The words grisly and grizzly are homophones. Because they sound the same, they can easily be confused.

Grisly

The adjective grisly means “gruesome, horrifying, shocking.”

• Nurses and paramedics are likely to encounter grisly sights in their work.
• The survivors gave grisly descriptions of the disaster.

Grizzly

The word grizzly can be used as an adjective or as a noun.

“Grizzly” used as an adjective

The adjective grizzly means “grey, greying” and is used to describe grey hair or a grey-haired person:

• The witness remembered the thief’s grizzly beard.
• The grizzly old sailor delighted his audience with seafaring tales.

“Grizzly” used as a noun

The noun grizzly (short for “grizzly bear”) refers to a large brown bear whose fur is tipped with grey. The plural is grizzlies.

• The grizzly is native to western Canada.
• There have been many sightings of grizzly bears in Banff National Park.
• Grizzlies are omnivores.

Additional information

• Homonyms, homophones, homographs