grotesque

1 of 2

noun

gro·​tesque grō-ˈtesk How to pronounce grotesque (audio)
1
a
: a style of decorative art characterized by fanciful or fantastic human and animal forms often interwoven with foliage or similar figures that may distort the natural into absurdity, ugliness, or caricature
b
: a piece of work in this style
an ornate structure, embellished with grotesques
2
: one that is grotesque
3

grotesque

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of the grotesque: such as
a
: fanciful, bizarre
a grotesque Halloween costume
b
: absurdly incongruous
c
: departing markedly from the natural, the expected, or the typical
animals with grotesque deformities
grotesquely adverb
grotesqueness noun

Did you know?

During the Italian Renaissance, Romans of culture took a great interest in their country's past and began excavating ancient buildings. During their excavations, they uncovered chambers (known in Italian as grotte, in reference to their cavelike appearance) decorated with artwork depicting fantastic combinations of human and animal forms interwoven with strange fruits and flowers. The Italian word grottesca became the name for this unique art style, and by 1561 it had mutated into the English noun "grotesque." The adjective form of "grotesque" was first used in the early 17th century to describe the decorative art but is now used to describe anything bizarre, incongruous, or unusual.

Choose the Right Synonym for grotesque

fantastic, bizarre, grotesque mean conceived, made, or carried out without adherence to truth or reality.

fantastic may connote extravagance in conception or ingenuity of decorative invention.

dreamed up fantastic rumors

bizarre applies to the sensationally strange and implies violence of contrast or incongruity of combination.

a bizarre medieval castle in the heart of a modern city

grotesque may apply to what is conventionally ugly but artistically effective or it may connote ludicrous awkwardness or incongruity often with sinister or tragic overtones.

grotesque statues on the cathedral
though grieving, she made a grotesque attempt at a smile

Examples of grotesque in a Sentence

Noun a gallery of grotesques from some horror movie Adjective The actors wore dark capes and grotesque masks. a grotesque distortion of the facts
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
More amusingly, among the gargoyles and grotesques that dot the various towers are one in the form of a corrupt politician and another representing Darth Vader. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2023 Washington National Cathedral, a famous example of Neo-Gothic architecture, is known for its collection of more than a hundred gargoyles and grotesques, including funny ones. Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 14 July 2023 An element of the grotesque inflects Stettheimer’s version of the American rococo, and one wonders whether this is part of its Americanness, connecting her to John Currin as much as to the nineteenth-century circus poster. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022 The young lovers are always a difficult proposition in a musical that gives you such a bounty of grotesques, and here the two of them get lost among them. Vulture, 26 Mar. 2023 Sweeping net-benefit claims are grotesque given these realities, yet the dutiful parroting of them is longstanding. Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., Forbes, 2 Jan. 2023 Right from the start, and despite the grotesque, over-the-top horror setting, there’s a palpable sense of realism to The Callisto Protocol’s story and visuals. Alessandro Fillari, Ars Technica, 2 Dec. 2022 The Irish writer-director Martin McDonagh has earned an adoring audience for his ability to find grace amid the grotesque. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2022 Somewhere deep within the gargantuan proportions of Mahler’s Sixth Symphony there has always resided a bundle of tensions or even contradictions — between form and content, art and life, fate and free will, the grotesque and the beautiful. Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Oct. 2022
Adjective
The show’s surrealism gains momentum from there, and the warped perspective becomes more central — more grotesque, more exciting, funnier — as the show goes on. Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 In the ensuing power struggle, paranoid traffickers turn on close associates and inflict ever more grotesque forms of violence on their enemies, and on civilians. Alma Guillermoprieto, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 One of the first rooms in the Wing of Manifestly Superior European Art has a Renaissance triptych hanging next to an intentionally grotesque Max Beckmann three-panel work. James Lileks, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023 The grotesque mistreatment of Black country artists, especially Black women artists like the legendary Linda Martell, the first Black female solo artist to achieve commercial success in country music, who did not receive adequate payment or recognition during her career. TIME, 14 Feb. 2024 Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans said the two scenes in the 2200 block of West Acres Road were the most grotesque he’s seen. Phil Helsel, NBC News, 23 Jan. 2024 However, with an assist from Foster’s intense performance, Levinson keeps things serious and doesn’t relent from the more grotesque parts of the premise. Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 23 Dec. 2023 Steamboat Willie’s Mickey couldn’t speak, and a silent killer bearing a mask with more grotesque features of the recognizable mouse’s visage is easier to get away with. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2024 Much like her fashion choices, Fox bounces through the glamour and the grotesque all the same. Daniel Rodgers, Glamour, 2 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grotesque.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French, from Old Italian (pittura) grottesca, literally, cave painting, feminine of grottesco of a cave, from grotta — see grotto

First Known Use

Noun

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1603, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grotesque was in 1561

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Dictionary Entries Near grotesque

Cite this Entry

“Grotesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grotesque. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

grotesque

adjective
gro·​tesque
grō-ˈtesk
1
: combining (as in a painting) details not found together in nature
2
: unnaturally odd or ugly
grotesquely adverb
grotesqueness noun
Etymology

Adjective

from French grotesque "relating to or being a style of art with unusual designs and combinations of figures of animals, humans, and plants," from Italian (pittura) grottesca "cave painting," from grottesca "of a cave," from grotta, grotto "cave," from Latin crypta "cavern, crypt" — related to grotto

Word Origin
Italians exploring the ruins of ancient Rome found strange paintings on the walls of some of the rooms. These paintings were of human and animal forms mixed with those of strange fruits and flowers. The Italians called such a painting pittura grottesca, which means "cave painting." The Italian adjective grottesca came from grotta, meaning "cave." We also get English grotto from this word. The Italian word grotta in turn came from the Latin crypta, which meant "cavern, crypt." The French borrowed the word grottesca from Italian and spelled it grotesque, the form in which it came into English. At first the adjective was used to describe pictures having strange combinations of things not normally found together. Later it came to be used for anything that looked weird or unnatural.

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