morbid

adjective

mor·​bid ˈmȯr-bəd 

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

Virgil the man had concerns, but not anxieties like we morbid others; he didn't agonize about the daily news …

—Ned Rorem

3

: grisly, gruesome

morbid details of the accident

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"). "

Synonyms of morbid

• somber
• depressing
• bleak
• depressive
• dark
• lonely
• solemn
• desolate
• darkening
• murky
• cold
• lonesome

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

And yet, for all my disdain, there's a morbid lovableness to Pattinson's portrayal that manages to disarm the weary cynic that's grown with age. —Edward Segarra, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025

But Clouzot’s movies are even more morbid and misanthropic than Alfred Hitchcock’s, especially Diabolique, his most famous film. —Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025

Most tourists come to London for the iconic landmarks and museums, but for those with a penchant for the foreboding, the city’s morbid history sets an especially spooky tone. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025

Across almost 20 novels, the British author spun fantastical tales with unsentimental wit, infusing his work with darkly morbid humor, blithe child endangerment, rotten and antagonistic adults, and a willingness to occasionally laugh at the misfortune of others. —Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin morbidus diseased, from morbus disease

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for morbid

• comorbid
• premorbid

Kids Definition

morbid

adjective

mor·​bid ˈmȯr-bəd 

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 

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