1
as in loud
disagreeable to one's aesthetic or artistic sense
the gaudy, overdecorated interior of the gambling casino was just too grotesque for my taste
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
that bloody Halloween mask is grotesque
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in monster
a strange or horrible and often frightening creature
a gallery of grotesques from some horror movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of grotesque
Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
Alex casually informing a family friend that their son will take the fall for Paul’s sin is clearly grotesque behavior.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Darryn King, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
White specks on the horizon grew to surround us with grotesques of ice.
—Blair Braverman, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for grotesque
Adjective
Ninety minutes of hilariously grotesque mayhem.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2025
Alex casually informing a family friend that their son will take the fall for Paul’s sin is clearly grotesque behavior.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
His early short films, such as Six Men Getting Sick (1967) and The Grandmother (1970), showcased his talent for blending the grotesque with the beautiful, setting the stage for his groundbreaking debut feature, Eraserhead (1977).
—Darryn King, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
White specks on the horizon grew to surround us with grotesques of ice.
—Blair Braverman, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for grotesque
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grotesque
Adjective
-
The former instantly adds a second layer of security against unwanted guests, and the latter emits an ultra-loud alarm while acting like a door stop wedge, scaring off any stranger who tries to enter your room.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Due to the struggles that the Florida State Seminoles have gone through this season following their opening upset win over the Alabama Crimson Tide, calls have begun getting louder for the program to consider firing head coach Mike Norvell.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Vanderbilt survived a Hail Mary against Missouri, while Memphis bounced back from its ugly loss to UAB to defeat South Florida and regain its spot as the leading Group of Five playoff contender.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Oct. 2025
-
But two familiar problems reared their ugly heads.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
With no one on in the bottom of the seventh, Ohtani hit a monster home run off Seranthony Dominguez to tie the game once again.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Ohtani’s monster 4-4 night – which included two home runs, two doubles, an astonishing five walks and 12 total bases – helped the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-5 win in 18 innings on Monday.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
According to the woman, her parents’ reasoning for denying her requests was rooted in a harsh lesson about independence.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Instead of buying special cleaners or reaching for harsh chemicals to clean around your home, look to your medicine cabinet for a solution.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
When her rival, Poot’s Thea, arrives underdressed, Hedda forces her into a hideous frock with fussy bows and an ungainly skirt.—
Amy Nicholson,
Twin Cities,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Here, see the real-life The Twits cast side-by-side with their hilariously hideous animated counterparts.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Nature infects everything, from the woodland murk that surrounds the town to the insects infiltrating Josie’s life, and Amor writes about it all with equal beauty and grotesquerie.—
Neil McRobert,
Vulture,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The sandwich, featuring ground meat—generally beef—suspended in a thick, sweet tomatoey sauce, has become an avatar of the horrible school lunch, a cliché that tends to go along with hairnets, greasy aprons, and other elements of canteen grotesquerie.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Although all three videos include audio, none of it quite syncs up with what’s on-screen, and ChatGPT’s robotic narration is particularly jarring.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The English-language narration, delivered by Kyra Sedgwick, is used for sporadic, jarring and rarely necessary info drops, and would have felt more at home on the soundtrack of a PBS nature series.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Smears on non-sensor areas of the tiara are like bug debris on your hood, aesthetically unpleasing but not harmful.—
Eric Tegler,
Popular Mechanics,
1 Oct. 2019
-
His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.—
SI.com,
SI.com,
1 Feb. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Grotesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grotesque. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share