schlimm

From earlier slim, from Middle High German slimp (“slanting, awry”), from Old High German slimb, from Proto-West Germanic *slimb, from Proto-Germanic *slimbaz (“oblique, crooked”). Compare English slim (“thin”), Dutch slim (“clever, smart”), Middle Dutch slim (“bad, crooked”).

• IPA^(key): /ʃlɪm/

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

schlimm (strong nominative masculine singular schlimmer, comparative schlimmer, superlative am schlimmsten)

1. bad, terrible, serious (seriously bad), dire, horrible, awful

   noch schlimmer ― even worse

   Am schlimmsten... ― Worst of all...

   Das Schlimmste an... ― The worst thing about...

2. hurting, ill, infected

   ein schlimmer Fuß ― an aching foot

• Schlecht and schlimm are widely synonymous. However, schlecht is used more of things that are objectively bad, while schlimm is more subjective and therefore perhaps also more intensive.

• verschlimmern
• Verschlimmerung
• verschlimmbessern
• Verschlimmbesserung (a supposed improvement that, in fact, makes a situation worse)

schlimm

1. badly, severely

• schlecht

• “schlimm” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “schlimm” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “schlimm” in Duden online

From Middle High German slimp, from Old High German slimb, from Proto-West Germanic *slimb, from Proto-Germanic *slimbaz (“sloping, askew, wrong”). Compare German schlimm, Dutch slim, English slim.

schlimm

1. bad
2. sad
3. serious, grave
4. very ill