Synonyms of macabre

macabre

adjective

mə-ˈkäb 

as in gruesome

extremely disturbing or repellent

a macabre movie about animated corpses

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gruesome
• horrific
• shocking
• nightmare
• frightening
• horrifying
• horrible
• terrible
• terrifying
• grisly
• terrific
• hideous
• scary
• dreadful
• nightmarish
• awful
• ghastly
• sickening
• appalling
• lurid
• frightful
• horrid
• monstrous
• disgusting
• horrendous
• atrocious
• grewsome
• alarming
• grotesque
• fearful
• obscene
• ugly
• formidable
• repulsive
• revolting
• offensive
• loathsome
• dire
• repugnant
• heinous
• unspeakable
• intimidating
• bloodcurdling
• abhorrent
• forbidding
• odious
• disagreeable
• direful
• deplorable
• evil
• abominable
• fearsome
• gut-wrenching
• obnoxious
• distasteful
• vile
• hair-raising
• heart-stopping
• nauseating
• redoubtable
• noxious
• noisome
• unsightly
• foul

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• delightful
• pleasant
• attractive
• delicious
• appealing
• welcome
• enjoyable
• agreeable
• satisfying
• delectable
• pleasurable
• enticing
• pleasing
• inviting
• comforting
• soothing
• cheering

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of macabre are ghastly, grisly, gruesome, and lurid. While all these words mean "horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect," macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial

When would ghastly be a good substitute for macabre?

The synonyms ghastly and macabre are sometimes interchangeable, but ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

How are the words grisly and gruesome related as synonyms of macabre?

Both grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.

an unusually grisly murder

suffered a gruesome death

How do lurid and gruesome relate to one another, in the sense of macabre?

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

the lurid details of a crime

Examples of macabre in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Set in Baltimore during the reconstruction, the story’s dark vibes and unreliable narrator will keep you reading all night until you, too, learn the macabre truth. —Sharon Virts, People.com, 5 Oct. 2024

Musician Spider One’s third feature fails not in its macabre concept but in its execution, rambling on for too long in some scenes and then zipping too fast through others. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 3 Oct. 2024

Francis Bacon: Human Presence National Portrait Gallery (October 8 to 13, 2024) The Master of macabre art and former louche Soho character Francis Bacon has a solo exhibition dedicated to him at the NPG in Trafalgar Square. —Lee Sharrock, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024

Burton, long revered for his quirky world-building genius, needs to get his macabre back, bigtime. —Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2024

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