as in monsters
a strange or horrible and often frightening creature
born Joseph Merrick, the so-called Elephant Man was for a time exhibited as a sideshow grotesquerie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 grotesqueries
As in Pillion and elsewhere, Melling imbues a premise’s potential grotesqueries with real and specific feelings.
—
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2026
The abundance of these grotesqueries was almost stranger than their existence.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 14 Dec. 2025
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2026
The abundance of these grotesqueries was almost stranger than their existence.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 14 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grotesqueries
Noun
-
But this remains a polling no-brainer for lawmakers, who are tired of being seen as self-serving greed monsters.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Gyllenhaal cast her husband Peter Sarsgaard as a detective in pursuit of the two monsters on the run, with Penelope Cruz as his partner.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Indeed, compared with the realistically creased faces and hangdog stares of the Cubs, the Boston fans behind them are closer to grotesques, an inhuman crush of caricatures.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Medieval carvers had a not dissimilar approach to design, fashioning grotesques for obscure nooks in cathedrals.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The hottest mess in this brood, at least from outward appearances, is Josh (Thomas Sadoski), a firefighter battling demons, pills and booze.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The bought-in blue demons knew early on in the second year under Holtmann that a turnaround season was possible.—
Jori Parys,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grotesqueries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grotesqueries. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
