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We trace the origins of macabre to the name of the Book of Maccabees, which is included in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox canons of the Old Testament and in the Protestant Apocrypha. Sections of this biblical text address both the deaths of faithful people asked to renounce their religion, and the manner in which the dead should be properly commemorated. In medieval France, representations of these passages were performed as a procession or dance which became known as the "dance of death" or "dance Maccabee"; the latter was spelled in several different ways, including danse de Macabré. In English, macabre was originally used in reference to this "dance of death" but then gradually broadened in use to describe anything grim or horrific. Today macabre functions as a synonym of gruesome or repulsive, always with a connection to the physical aspects of death and suffering.
Examples of macabre in a Sentence
Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Many former asylums are now macabre tourist attractions, whose treatment of their subject matter can range from the sensitive to the sensationalist.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Though Beetlejuice exists in a macabre wonderland (its practical effects are still marvels), the film never loses its gooey center.
—Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Two-hour walking tour touches on the gruesome and macabre events of the city's past, including grave robbing, a serial killing saloonist and other deadly mayhem.
—Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for macabre
Cite this Entry
“Macabre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/macabre. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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macabre
adjective
-ˈkäb-ər
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