variants also grewsome

Synonym Chooser

How is the word gruesome different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of gruesome are ghastly, grisly, lurid, and macabre. While all these words mean "horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect," grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.

an unusually grisly murder
suffered a gruesome death

Where would ghastly be a reasonable alternative to gruesome?

The words ghastly and gruesome can be used in similar contexts, but ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

How do lurid and gruesome relate to one another?

Lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder.

the lurid details of a crime

When can macabre be used instead of gruesome?

While the synonyms macabre and gruesome are close in meaning, macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gruesome In a pair of preprint studies posted in March 2025 to bioRxiv, European researchers recently revisited this question — and introduced a gruesome theory: maybe cats were first tamed not to be pets, but to be sacrificed. Jenny Lehmann, Discover Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025 Down to the wire of the very lavish ceremony at the Huntley estate, Quinn grapples with the past actions of his father (Rupert Graves) and grandfather, who covered up gruesome deaths of women to protect their family reputation. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2025 Related Stories As Dickens goes over each of Jesus’ miracles and other pivotal moments ahead of his gruesome death, young Walter walks into the biblical passages as an unseen figure watching from the sidelines and becoming enraptured by the tall tales. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025 Weeks later, a gruesome discovery would confirm the terrible truth for the Grimes family: The two young sisters were never coming back. Sean Neumann, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gruesome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruesome
Adjective
  • These types of horrific events by terrorists are why those of us who work for peace and stability in the world continue our mission.
    Danielle Wallace, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Of course, some eight hundred thousand did die—many in horrific ways—while the formerly enslaved were left to fend for themselves in a postwar state where apartheid was enforced by terror.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Wade has been in a horrible slump since the season started and going in to Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Angels is hitting .096 (5-for-52) with a homer, seven RBIs, eight walks and an on base percentage of .213.
    Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The Braves desperately need to add a shortstop and some offensive help amid their horrible start to the season.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But even with Edwards’ shocking loss, this outpouring of grief and tributes — the decals, the touching video montages on national TV, the mentions in interviews — had to catch many NASCAR fans off guard.
    Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • That’s a bit shocking for the current winner of the Best New Artist Grammy.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Skinner had a terrible time of it for much of the season.
    Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • What is disconcerting is when campaign donors and friends & family have commuted sentences after they have been legally convicted of terrible financial crimes.
    Sanjeev Menon, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City Before the turn of the year, Manchester City were stuck in an awful rut.
    Sam Tighe, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
  • This joins a truly awful 18% audience score and an also-bad 5.7 out of 10 on IMDB, where anything under a 6 is almost never worth watching.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • After the frightening threat, the man suddenly ran off in an unknown direction.
    Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Serena Joy Waterford is among the most frightening, dead-hearted women ever written for the small screen.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gruesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruesome. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on gruesome

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