morbid

adjective

mor·​bid ˈmȯr-bəd How to pronounce morbid (audio)
1
a
: 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
morbidly adverb
morbidness noun

Frequently Asked Questions

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Pennies from Heaven was based on British writer Dennis Potter’s postmodern TV series about the morbid inner life of a Depression-era sheet music salesman named Arthur (played by Steve Martin). Armond White, National Review, 29 Nov. 2024 Still, the pigtailed problem child is making an appearance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, courtesy of a morbid Netflix float. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 28 Nov. 2024 The Italian political philosopher Antonio Gramsci famously warned that a great variety of morbid symptoms appear in the interregnum that occurs when the old is dying and the new cannot yet be born. Firas Maksad, TIME, 26 Nov. 2024 The moment a real bullet fired from a prop gun to kill cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, the film was transformed into an object of morbid curiosity. Nick Newman, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for morbid 

Word History

Etymology

Latin morbidus diseased, from morbus disease

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of morbid was in 1656

Dictionary Entries Near morbid

Cite this Entry

“Morbid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morbid. Accessed 10 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

morbid

adjective
mor·​bid ˈmȯr-bəd How to pronounce morbid (audio)
1
: not healthful : diseased
a morbid condition
2
: characterized by gloomy or sick ideas or feelings
takes a morbid interest in funerals
morbidly adverb

Medical Definition

morbid

adjective
mor·​bid ˈmȯr-bəd How to pronounce morbid (audio)
1
a
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on morbid

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