grotesquerie

noun

gro·​tes·​que·​rie grō-ˈte-skə-rē How to pronounce grotesquerie (audio)
variants or less commonly grotesquery
plural grotesqueries
1
: something that is grotesque
2
: the quality or state of being grotesque : grotesqueness

Examples of grotesquerie in a Sentence

born Joseph Merrick, the so-called Elephant Man was for a time exhibited as a sideshow grotesquerie
Recent Examples on the Web There’s a provision in the Dodd-Frank financial reform law that’s supposed to deal with such grotesqueries. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 2 May 2023 But the difference with Trump is that his massive influence on American political coalitions is largely based on whether voters thrill to his transgressions or are appalled by his grotesqueries. Ben Jacobs, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2023 The Big Forehead and Eye Distance filters morph familiar faces into comic grotesqueries, to the delight of all. Charlotte Shane, WIRED, 24 Aug. 2023 Lankov argues that this is a convoluted distortion of one of the real-life grotesqueries of North Korean life. Will Sommer, Washington Post, 16 July 2023 The show both mirrors and skewers the grotesqueries of online life. Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 9 June 2023 As a case in point, the recent British referendum over the United Kingdom’s membership in the EU was a reckless gamble that took a very real issue—the need for more open and legitimate contestation in the EU—and turned it into a political grotesquerie of shamelessly opportunistic political elites. Kathleen R. McNamara, Foreign Affairs, 28 June 2016 Doja later clarified the origins of the tattoo in question—a part-human, part-animal creature—by sharing the source material to Instagram; the 1616 artwork De Monstris by Fortunio Licenti, which depicts several such grotesqueries combining human features with elements nature. Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 28 June 2023 Further coverage alit on other Qatari grotesqueries: its lack of free expression, its brutal treatment of homosexuals, and the general subjugation of Qatari women. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 10 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grotesquerie.' 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

grotesque + French -erie -ery

First Known Use

circa 1666, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grotesquerie was circa 1666

Dictionary Entries Near grotesquerie

Cite this Entry

“Grotesquerie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grotesquerie. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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