as in horror
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
the grisliness of the crime scene was too much for the jury
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grisliness
Noun
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Nilsson admits to suffering from horror vacui—a fear of empty space, which in her case reads less like a neurotic affliction than like compulsive conviviality.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026 -
One of the only calendar moments the site leans into is Halloween, where thousands upon thousands of videos flood the platform, from DIY Halloween costume tutorials to full-length horror films, a YouTube spokesman tells me.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
2 June 2026
Noun
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The budget has $4 million to compensate descendants of the victims of one of the worst racial atrocities in Florida history, a case known as the Groveland Four that dates to 1949.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2026
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For a media ecosystem that seldom reports on the atrocities of the counterinsurgency, this episode has drawn weeks of political scrutiny.—
Patrick Peralta,
The Conversation,
28 May 2026
Noun
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The result is depressingly rizzless for something based on a game famous for its gruesomeness.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
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Even early on, before the gruesomeness starts spiraling out of control, Stephen McKeon’s stabbing, head-scrambling score and Peter Albrechtsen’s gut-churning soundscape work overtime to jangle our nerves.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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No amount of gore or ghastliness is off limits for the series, produced by horror champions Blumhouse, as Nicole Kidman's titular medical examiner pores over the remains of the dead.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In a world so full of dread and awfulness, why not take a moment to read anonymous petty literary gossip on the internet?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
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The relative excitement around the Rockies having arrived in San Diego at 6-6 is a reaction based on their relative awfulness.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Grisliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grisliness. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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