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
Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 July 2025
In it, guests will venture into Art the Clown’s Funhouse, which first appeared in Terrifier 2, encountering Art’s grotesque kills from the franchise, gleefully displayed for all to see.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 10 July 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
After all, these rich, beautiful people couldn't possibly see past Dee's uncontrollable urge to panic-gag and Charlie's uncontrollable desire to shove grotesque amounts of cheese in his mouth, right?
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 July 2025
In it, guests will venture into Art the Clown’s Funhouse, which first appeared in Terrifier 2, encountering Art’s grotesque kills from the franchise, gleefully displayed for all to see.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 10 July 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
-
The calls from the right flank of the GOP for Phelan's ouster were equally as loud as the calls that any speaker must have the support of most, if not all, of the Republican House members.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
-
The loudest voice in the manosphere is infamous for many things, including criminal charges of human trafficking, rape, and assault.—
Brad Wilcox,
The Atlantic,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
In February, the feud between way and actor Marlon Wayans reached an ugly head when the rapper published a series of cruel and vindictive social media posts targeting Wayans' transgender son, Kai.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
4 Aug. 2025
-
As Vallejos pulled ahead thanks to his striking combinations and power, which left Silva looking to goad him into an ugly slugfest, which Vallejos mostly avoided sticking to his game plan of using combinations to take advantage of Silva’s lack of defense.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Osment joins the Happy Gilmore world as Billy Jenkins, a young pro golfer with a monster swing.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
29 July 2025
-
In the day, how big could the real monster dinosaurs get?—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
As the moon moves through Sagittarius, a harsh reality disturbs your inner peace.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
3 Aug. 2025
-
Unlike harsh chemical cleaners or abrasive scrubbers like steel wool, salt effectively tackles grime while remaining safe for both wood and plastic cutting board surfaces.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Luthor combats Superman through a combination of science and technology — injecting nanobot GPS trackers into Superman’s bloodstream — using methods that recall the hideous Covid manipulation.—
Armond White,
National Review,
11 July 2025
-
The dark edge in Bushnell’s writing reflects less a brave new world than a world that is the hideous extension of the old one.—
Alice Bolin
June 23,
Literary Hub,
23 June 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
-
As the market starts to take shape, the lack of righty-hitting outfielders is jarring.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
29 July 2025
-
Bright orange next to gray carpet often feels jarring—like two guests at a party who don’t really get along.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 July 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 7 Aug. 2025.
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