1
as in loud
disagreeable to one's aesthetic or artistic sense
the gaudy, overdecorated interior of the gambling casino was just too grotesque for my taste
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
that bloody Halloween mask is grotesque
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in monster
a strange or horrible and often frightening creature
a gallery of grotesques from some horror movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grotesque
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
That beautifully grotesque image remains among the franchise’s most iconic visuals.
—Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Jan. 2026
Emily Johnson, Architectural Digest, 18 Oct. 2025
While some people expressed excitement about the new look for a key Broad Ripple entrance, others called the sculpture grotesque.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grotesque
Adjective
Not only are hospital CEOs paid obscene amounts of money and the hospitals are sitting on fat cash balances, but NewYork–Presbyterian is guilty of something even more grotesque.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
That beautifully grotesque image remains among the franchise’s most iconic visuals.
—Sezin Devi Koehler, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
More recently, the trend has leaned even more surreal, even into the grotesque.
—Emily Johnson, Architectural Digest, 18 Oct. 2025
While some people expressed excitement about the new look for a key Broad Ripple entrance, others called the sculpture grotesque.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grotesque
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grotesque
Adjective
-
Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel already established a Gothic world in which the trauma is as loud as the wind on the moors, and Emerald Fennell’s adaptation excises major portions of the book to streamline that atmospheric darkness and ultimate tragedy.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Konstantin, 4, a sociable boy, is often frightened by loud noises and guards, his parents said.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Further, there is the even uglier spectre of players and coaches themselves fixing games.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Shower Heads Even the most high-end shower heads are not immune to ugly mineral deposits and limescale buildup that can clog the holes.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Clues in the snow led to the arrests of two suspects in a business break-in during last weekend’s monster storm in the Charlotte region and rest of the state, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said in a social media post.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The 6-8 Mendoza was a monster on Friday, scoring 21 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and blocking six shots.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The energy output is designed to remain stable down to –50 degrees Celsius, supporting reliable operation in some of the harshest climates on Earth, reports InsideEVs.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Rapinchuk recommends only using non-toxic products when cleaning your refrigerator and avoiding anything with harsh chemicals, such as bleach and ammonia.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The hideous curbside piles of frozen slush blocking New York City streets have a name.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2026
-
That this hideous crime was executed by 15-year-old young adults is horrifying.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Where Rage Racer went for an industrial vibe, and R4 chased the avant-garde, Rave Racer continued down the path established by the earliest installments in the franchise, with a glorious but simultaneously bizarre and frankly jarring dance soundtrack.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
5 Feb. 2026
-
That was the jarring final chapter of an otherwise low-key window for Everton.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Smears on non-sensor areas of the tiara are like bug debris on your hood, aesthetically unpleasing but not harmful.—
Eric Tegler,
Popular Mechanics,
1 Oct. 2019
-
His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.—
SI.com,
SI.com,
1 Feb. 2018
Adjective
-
Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching, and my family is deeply grateful so many people have stood up and helped tell his truth.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
At one point a couple of years ago, Microsoft even used malware-like pop-ups in a disgusting overreach.—
Tom Warren,
The Verge,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grotesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grotesque. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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