schlimm

/ʃlɪm/

adjective A2

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

Meaning

bad, serious (of a situation, injury, or event)

Overlaps with schlecht, but schlimm leans toward "bad in a serious/harmful way" (a bad accident), while schlecht is the general word for poor quality or badness.
- Der Unfall war nicht so schlimm.
  
  The accident wasn't that bad.

Similar words

schlecht is the general word for "bad" (quality, taste, mood); schlimm is used for something seriously bad or harmful, like an injury or situation.

Similar in other languages

Spanish

angustioso

Close, figuratively — bad, serious (an injury) relates to distressing (angustioso).

English

dreadful

schlimm describes a bad, serious situation, close to dreadful's intensified sense of bad.

English

negative

schlimm and negative both describe an unfavorable situation or outcome.

Practice

1 What does schlimm mean?

2 Fill the gap: Der Unfall war nicht so ___.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches schlimm?

adjective

Last updated 2026-09-16