To save this word, you'll need to log in.
mor·bid | \ ˈmȯr-bəd 
\
\Definition of morbid
1a : of, relating to, or characteristic of disease
morbid anatomy
b : affected with or induced by disease
a morbid condition
c : productive of disease
morbid substances
2 : abnormally susceptible to or characterized by gloomy or unwholesome feelings
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms & Antonyms for morbid
Synonyms
- black,
- bleak,
- cheerless,
- chill,
- Cimmerian,
- cloudy,
- cold,
- comfortless,
- dark,
- darkening,
- depressing,
- depressive,
- desolate,
- dire,
- disconsolate,
- dismal,
- drear,
- dreary,
- dreich
- [chiefly Scottish],
- elegiac
- (also elegiacal),
- forlorn,
- funereal,
- gloomy,
- glum,
- godforsaken,
- gray
- (also grey),
- lonely,
- lonesome,
- lugubrious,
- miserable,
- morose,
- murky,
- plutonian,
- saturnine,
- sepulchral,
- solemn,
- somber
- (or sombre),
- sullen,
- sunless,
- tenebrific,
- tenebrous,
- wretched
Antonyms
- bright,
- cheerful,
- cheering,
- cheery,
- comforting,
- cordial,
- festive,
- friendly,
- gay,
- heartwarming,
- sunshiny
Examples of morbid in a Sentence
Some of the material has been disclosed before, but it is wonderful to have the quotations from President Nixon and his aides gathered here in all their morbid splendor. — Anthony Lewis, New York Review of Books, 7 Apr. 2005 Danger can be sexy, but morbid proselytizing is a real buzzkill. — Emily Gordon, Nation, 5 May 1997 When I was a kid, I harbored a morbid fear of feathers. Feathers. Not a single feather or a few loose feathers, like the ones I'd stick in my naps to play Indian, but feathers in a bunch, … — John Edgar Wideman, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 1994 She suffered from a morbid streak which in all the life of the family reached out on occasions—the worst occasions—and touched us, clung around us, making it worse for her; her unbearable moments could find nowhere to go. — Eudora Welty, One Writer's Beginnings, 1983
She has a morbid interest in funerals.
He has a morbid sense of humor.
a morbid fascination with death
wanting to learn about a celebrity's downfall out of morbid curiosity
suffering from a morbid condition
The child has a morbid fear of snakes.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web Get the recipe: Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork Noodles The end is near
Of the year, sheesh! Don’t be so morbid.
—
Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, "My 2019 “Keeper” Recipe Is Never Leaving My Side," 14 Dec. 2019 Twenty percent of people who stay in American hospitals are on the same morbid merry-go-round as Cynthia and Jean-Luc and will wind up back in the E.R. within one month of leaving.
—
Gina Siddiqui, New York Times, "A Doctor’s Diary: The Overnight Shift in the E.R.," 16 Dec. 2019 Violence: This is about a mysterious death, so there is some morbid content with the shots of the dead body.
—
Katie Walsh, chicagotribune.com, "Parents guide: Advice about films kids may want to see in theaters or opening soon," 11 Dec. 2019 Her morbid imagination also makes her fascinated to learn of the famous Dodson fire.
—
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Greater Clements': Theater Review," 10 Dec. 2019 Its narrative fangs may not be fully sharpened, but enough to pique one’s morbid interest.
—
Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Thoughtfully creepy Venezuelan horror film ‘The Lake Vampire’ comes calling," 26 Sep. 2019 But VFW Post 4573 had one thing going for it that those other organizations didn’t have, one morbid sliver of hope.
—
John Carlisle, Freep.com, "Polka, bingo and fish fries are slowly saving VFW post in Michigan's U.P.," 29 Nov. 2019 But certain destinations remain seriously morbid and should be treated delicately.
—
Natalie B. Compton, The Know, "How to navigate the etiquette of dark tourism," 27 Oct. 2019 The morbid suggestion of expiring inside a padded box in the office is underscored by recent news about WeWork’s toxic phone booths.
—
Anne Quito, Quartz at Work, "Must every office phone booth feel like an upright coffin?," 22 Nov. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'morbid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for morbid
morbid
adjectiveEnglish Language Learners Definition of morbid
: relating to unpleasant subjects (such as death)
technical : not healthy or normal
See the full definition for morbid in the English Language Learners Dictionary
morbid
adjectivemor·bid | \ ˈmȯr-bəd \
\Kids Definition of morbid
1 : not healthy or normal
He has a morbid fear of snakes.
2 : having or showing an interest in unpleasant or gloomy things
Some stared at the afflicted child with morbid fascination …— Ellen Raskin, The Westing Game
morbid
adjectivemor·bid | \ ˈmȯr-bəd \
\Medical Definition of morbid
1a : of, relating to, or characteristic of disease
b : affected with or induced by disease
a morbid condition morbid alteration of tissues
c : productive of disease
morbid substances
2 : abnormally susceptible to or characterized by gloomy or unwholesome feelings
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on morbid
What made you want to look up morbid? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
The Eponym Quiz
- Which is the best synonym of bowdlerize?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- The Eponym Quiz
Do you know these words that come from names?
Take the quiz - Liar, Liar Quiz
Test your knowledge of words for lies, liars, and those being lied to. In other words, everyone.
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Dictionary Devil
The dictionary has been scrambled—can you put it back together?
Play the game
Share morbid
Time Traveler for morbid
The first known use of morbid was in 1656
See more words from the same year