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
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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
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Recent Examples of grotesque
Dave Quinn, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
In this way, these prominent firms bestow their seal of approval on this grotesque abuse of power.
—James Speyer, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for grotesque
Adjective
Removing their dark veils, the two expose their grotesque faces, their exaggerated makeup cracked, peeling and flaking off in chunks.
—Dave Quinn, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
In this way, these prominent firms bestow their seal of approval on this grotesque abuse of power.
—James Speyer, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
Winifred, the protagonist of this Victorian-era grotesque, takes a position as a governess at an English manor.
—The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for grotesque
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grotesque
Adjective
-
But due to noise from the venue next door, which was playing loud music amid a competing bar, Bruni bailed even after the musicians were assembled on stage.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2025
-
Literal flames surrounded the glow, both repelling and drawing you in more, followed by two loud, disorienting thumps.—
Christopher Rosa,
Glamour,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
The birds' droppings end up on the ground and windows below, creating an ugly scene for staff, branch patrons and passersby walking in the River Market District.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
23 May 2025
-
Compare the first half of Season 15 to Jodie Whittaker’s last outing as the Doctor, and things get uglier.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
Dark Universe is where monsters from Universal’s classic horror films – like Frankenstein, Dracula and the Invisible Man – live on in the village of Darkmoor.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
-
Another one of Universal’s monsters features prominently in the Curse of the Werewolf spinning coaster.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
In fact, all forms of Persian rap — from street rap and gangsta to philosophical and social hip-hop — were used in the service of protest, with many works accompanied by heavy beats, dark atmospheres, and harsh narrative styles.—
Ali Farahmand,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
-
Padilla had harsh comments for the president and the GOP in a statement Thursday after the House vote.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
At dinnertime, the restaurant is busy, but not slammed; the crowd seems to be largely made up of people with beautiful hair and compellingly hideous shoes.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Within the span of a few days, an innocuous speck can turn a loaf of bread from prime sandwich material into a hideous mass of blue-green fuzz—an appetite-killing sight if ever there was one.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
High-end grotesqueries out of Fellini or Visconti would have been more apt.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
-
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
-
This jarring image pushes audiences to imagine and inhabit a different kind of reality.—
Sara Merican,
Deadline,
17 May 2025
-
Her first trip into a war zone is jarring, but provides scant insight.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
16 May 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 30 May. 2025.
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