What are the attributes of Grimdark?

[Rostum]

I would say the motivation is often reactionary to outside stimuli.

 Caul Shivers trying to be a better man (and failing due to circumstances beyond his control) Jorg on a knife edge between the wrong decision and murderous adults within the road brothers who will kill him the moment things don't go right.

While the protagonist may have a strategy it is often unsuccessful. The tactics are often very much made up on the spot which keeps things interesting and makes the book.

[Magnus Hedén]

The above discussion is interesting, but also the reason I often answer the question "what genre do you write in?" with "I don't know". 

[S. K. Inkslinger]

I think I'm actually alright with grimdark except the unhappy ending and desperate characters in despair. Hell I read through Broken Empire which everyone said was grimdark and totally enjoyed the hell out of it, in contrast to any other grimdark I've come across. The Court of Broken Knives almost intrigued me enough, but I guess some of the character's POV in there is a tad bit too heavy for me to like it much.

[Peat]

Well the objections have been noted, but the community support for a higher level of motivation is there, so it in stays.

Here's the final piece if people are curious - https://peatlong.wordpress.com/2021/02/18/defining-grimdark-a-community-consensus-sample/

I do think when people talk about motivation, they're talking about it as a reaction to that big 80s/90s wave of fantasy where the MC is often someone with zero ambition until forced to adventure by immediate threats to their life. Grimdark still has external stimuli, but it's not at the same level to the same lack of motivation as found in the perceptions of classic trad fantasy. I am not widely read enough to know how fair this is, but I do understand why people think of it.

[Neveesandeh]

I think I'm actually alright with grimdark except the unhappy ending and desperate characters in despair. Hell I read through Broken Empire which everyone said was grimdark and totally enjoyed the hell out of it, in contrast to any other grimdark I've come across. The Court of Broken Knives almost intrigued me enough, but I guess some of the character's POV in there is a tad bit too heavy for me to like it much.

I adore the Broken Empire. Court of Broken Knives is beautifully written, but I hate the protagonist, probably more than anyone else in fiction. It's not that he's badly written, but I decided not to continue the series because I didn't want to read any more about him.

[J.R. Darewood]

The above discussion is interesting, but also the reason I often answer the question "what genre do you write in?" with "I don't know". 

I define grimdark as grim and dark.
Makes it pretty easy.
I call my own work "grim-lite"
Or if I want to be fancy: "speculative fiction"
If i want to be honest: "genre pulp"