gruesome

adjective

grue·​some ˈgrü-səm 

variants or less commonly grewsome

: inspiring horror or repulsion : grisly

gruesome stories of wounded comrades

gruesomely adverb

gruesomeness noun

Synonyms of gruesome

• horrific
• shocking
• horrible
• nightmare
• horrifying
• terrible
• frightening
• terrific
• terrifying
• dreadful

Choose the Right Synonym for gruesome

ghastly, grisly, gruesome, macabre, lurid mean horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect.

ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

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

an unusually grisly murder

suffered a gruesome death

macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial

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

the lurid details of a crime

Examples of gruesome in a Sentence

The police report described the scene in gruesome detail.

didn't stick around to hear the gruesome details of the car accident

Recent Examples on the Web

Set thousands of years in the future, the Blight has wiped out most of civilization, and while the name sounds gruesome and terrifying, the Blight itself is verdant and filled with flowers. — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Multiple gruesome photos of the crime scene were exhibited on screen during the first day of the preliminary hearing Tuesday, showing a garbage bag with limbs inside, as well as Rivas’ bloody head and torso. — Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026

Directed by James Watkins and written by Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini, the film places one of the most gruesome villains from the DC universe front and center. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 22 July 2026

For one thing, that show never featured any gunshots, explosions — or a high, gruesome body count, for that matter. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 22 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier growsome, from English dialect grow, grue to shiver, from Middle English gruen, probably from Middle Dutch grūwen; akin to Old High German ingrūēn to shiver

First Known Use

circa 1700, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

gruesome

adjective

grue·​some ˈgrü-səm 

: causing horror or disgust : horrible

gruesomely adverb

gruesomeness noun