gruesome

adjective

grue·​some ˈgrü-səm How to pronounce gruesome (audio)
variants or less commonly grewsome
: inspiring horror or repulsion : grisly
gruesome stories of wounded comrades
gruesomely adverb
gruesomeness noun
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 Glass is not afraid of lingering on an open wound or dragging out hand-to-hand combat to the most gruesome conclusions. David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2024 Memories of his dead mother haunt him, and early flashbacks reveal a tranquil childhood interrupted by gruesome violence. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 The jail began housing inmates in 1882, but was immobilized in the 1930s after some of them sustained some gruesome injuries. The Indianapolis Star, 12 Mar. 2024 These included an unverified claim of a gruesome attack on a pregnant woman and her fetus. Richard Roth, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Now, Mahogany’s mother says someone is selling those gruesome clips online. Emily Palmer, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Starring, of course, Johnny Depp, as the detective trying to get to the bottom of a series of gruesome, seemingly supernatural murders in a small 18th century American town. John Archer, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 In exchange for a 20-year sentence, van der Sloot agreed to detailing the gruesome details of Holloway’s death. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024 Authorities believe Ibarra did not know Riley prior to the incident Authorities in Georgia have revealed gruesome details about the killing of nursing student Laken Riley. Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of gruesome was circa 1700

Dictionary Entries Near gruesome

Cite this Entry

“Gruesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gruesome. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gruesome

adjective
grue·​some ˈgrü-səm How to pronounce gruesome (audio)
: causing horror or disgust : horrible
gruesomely adverb
gruesomeness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on gruesome

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