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
-
Daniel Bernhardt is Deathstalker, a legendary swordsman stuck with a cursed amulet who befriends swamp monsters and teams with a mini wizard (voiced by Patton Oswalt) to stop a dark magic from ruling the land.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Both were monsters on the boards and couldn’t be stopped at times inside.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The script, by Ed Solomon, treats the Sklar siblings as cardboard grotesques—heartless, talentless, united in their loathing of a father who loathes them right back.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The next chapter played well for the crowd at The Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace Hotel and Casino — introducing a new cast with some familiar chills and demons.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
-
But at this event, there was no Bobby, and there was no talk of lifelong demons.—
Jill Smolowe,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grotesqueries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grotesqueries. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
