morbid

Q: Are morbid and moribund the same?

Morbid and moribund may begin with the same three letters, but these words have different meanings and origins. Moribund, meaning "being in a state of inactivity or obsolescence," comes from the Latin word meaning "to die" ( mori ), while morbid ("grisly, gruesome") is from the Latin morbus ("disease").

Q: Is morbid a noun?

No, morbid is an adjective (with meanings such as "of, relating to, or characteristic of disease" and "gruesome or grisly"). There are noun forms, such as morbidity ("an abnormal or unhealthy state of mind; especially, one marked by excessive gloom") and morbidness ("the quality or state of being morbid"). "

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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

3 : grisly, gruesome morbid details morbid curiosity

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Other Words from morbid Synonyms & Antonyms Frequently Asked Questions About morbid More Example Sentences Learn More About morbid

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Frequently Asked Questions About morbid

What is morbid curiosity?

Morbid curiosity is a fascination with grisly or gruesome matters. Although morbid has other meanings (such as "productive of disease"), when paired with curiosity it carries the "grisly" sense.

Are morbid and moribund the same?

Morbid and moribund may begin with the same three letters, but these words have different meanings and origins. Moribund, meaning "being in a state of inactivity or obsolescence," comes from the Latin word meaning "to die" (mori), while morbid ("grisly, gruesome") is from the Latin morbus ("disease").

Is morbid a noun?

No, morbid is an adjective (with meanings such as "of, relating to, or characteristic of disease" and "gruesome or grisly"). There are noun forms, such as morbidity ("an abnormal or unhealthy state of mind; especially, one marked by excessive gloom") and morbidness ("the quality or state of being morbid"). "

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 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 Most people who have been infected with the Heartland virus have made a full recovery with this kind of supportive care, the CDC says, but there have been several deaths among elderly individuals with co-morbid conditions. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 17 Mar. 2022 Not to get too morbid, but death looms over season 4 in unexpected ways. — Dan Snierson, EW.com, 25 Feb. 2022 If that’s too morbid for you, consider Philly neuroscientist Brian Salzberg, 76, who has run every single Falmouth road race. — Amby Burfoot, Outside Online, 11 Feb. 2019 The researchers also dug deeper into the association between social anxiety and relationship satisfaction, exploring its connection with co-morbid depression. — Mark Travers, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2021 For instance, even though individuals ages 19 to 29 with no co-morbid conditions were the group least likely to have complications, 21.2% of them—about one in five—still had at least one complication. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, 26 July 2021 Okay, that might have gotten too morbid for a second. — Devon Abelman, Allure, 3 July 2021 Set up a Legacy Contact – Not to get too morbid, but the harsh reality is that when a loved one dies, accessing their iPhone can be impossible if the device is secured. — Yoni Heisler, BGR, 14 June 2021 And Leona had a reason for such a seemingly morbid request. — Hayley Vaughn, NBC News, 1 June 2021 See More

These 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.

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Last Updated

27 Mar 2022

Cite this Entry

“Morbid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morbid. Accessed 20 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for morbid

morbid

adjective

mor·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

adjective

mor·bid | \ ˈmȯr-bəd