An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/gräßlich

by Friedrich Kluge

gräßlich, adj., ‘horrible, hideous, ghastly,’ formed from early ModHG. graß; the latter is derived from MidHG. graȥ, ‘furious, angry,’ of which OHG. preserves only the adv. graȥȥo, ‘violently, very’; Goth. *grata-, as well as correspondences in the remaining dialects, is wanting. Goth. grêtan, ‘to weep’ (MidHG. grâȥen), is scarcely allied.