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

Lechner was a member of the 75th Rangers in Somalia and suffered a gruesome gunshot wound to his tibia. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Among protesters, particularly gruesome wounds suffered by some teenagers have been blamed on police riot-control weapons. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026

Mars Attacks, released in 1962, was a huge hit with kids, though many parents objected to the gruesome artwork of Martians eviscerating Earthlings. — Bob Woods, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026

The gruesome case of a 20-year-old who was stabbed 130 times and stuffed into a mattress inside a NoDa apartment will be handed over to a jury Friday afternoon. — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 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