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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
that bloody Halloween mask is grotesque
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in monster
a strange or horrible and often frightening creature
a gallery of grotesques from some horror movie
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grotesque
Jack Dunn, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
More recently, from 2013 to 2014, Gardin documented the destructive transit of cruise ships through Venice’s delicate canals—a grotesque symbol for the domination of the city, and the country, by tourism and big business.
—Max Norman, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 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
The film stars Oscar Isaac as the titular mad scientist and Jacob Elordi as his grotesque creation.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 10 Sep. 2025
More recently, from 2013 to 2014, Gardin documented the destructive transit of cruise ships through Venice’s delicate canals—a grotesque symbol for the domination of the city, and the country, by tourism and big business.
—Max Norman, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 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
-
McIlroy received the loudest cheers of the day as his eagle shot dropped in on the par 5.—
Caoimhe O'Neill,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
-
And instead of Mulder talking about his fond memories playing for the A’s in Oakland, a loud and repeating beep echoed through the public address system.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The only debate is which of his five interceptions against LSU was the ugliest and/or costliest in a 20-10 loss.—
David Ubben,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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The results were ugly and caused lasting damage to our citizens' livelihoods and our city's reputation.—
Ted Wheeler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This quiz invites you to explore the darker corners of sci-fi literature, where monsters lurk not just in shadows, but in laboratories, alien worlds and post-apocalyptic wastelands.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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As a smooth fixer for a tertiary monster who has maybe three lines, Morgan Spector is both chilling and thoroughly pointless.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Oysters inspired the researchers because of their remarkable ability to attach to rocks, bridge pilings, or even each other in the harsh underwater environment.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Sep. 2025
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But the rules of the Long Walk are harsh and the stakes could not be higher.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Hart was short, with a hideous combover.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
30 Aug. 2025
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That hideous incentive triggered My Lai and other similarly heinous attacks.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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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
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By contrast, Doom: The Dark Ages flings the player back into the dark ages to witness a war between two factions that look like a low-rent knock-off imitation of series like Warhammer — grotesqueries and all.—
Kazuma Hashimoto,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Two events led to a new direction The pastor pointed to two jarring events in March 2019 that led the congregation to its current place.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Set up familiar spaces – Arrange furniture and pet belongings in a similar way in the new home to make the transition less jarring.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 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
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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 18 Sep. 2025.
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