Synonyms of gruesome

gruesome

adjective

ˈgrü-səm 

variants also grewsome

as in horrific

extremely disturbing or repellent

didn't stick around to hear the gruesome details of the car accident

Synonyms & Similar Words

• horrific
• shocking
• horrible
• nightmare
• horrifying
• terrible
• frightening
• terrific
• terrifying
• dreadful
• awful
• hideous
• grisly
• scary
• sickening
• macabre
• disgusting
• nightmarish
• appalling
• ghastly
• monstrous
• horrid
• frightful
• lurid
• horrendous
• atrocious
• fearful
• ugly
• dire
• grotesque
• alarming
• obscene
• direful
• offensive
• intimidating
• formidable
• revolting
• repulsive
• loathsome
• heinous
• vile
• forbidding
• repugnant
• unspeakable
• fearsome
• gut-wrenching
• abhorrent
• deplorable
• abominable
• disagreeable
• obnoxious
• evil
• odious
• bloodcurdling
• distasteful
• hair-raising
• heart-stopping
• nauseating
• redoubtable
• noxious
• noisome
• unsightly
• foul

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pleasant
• attractive
• delightful
• delicious
• enjoyable
• appealing
• satisfying
• pleasurable
• welcome
• agreeable
• enticing
• delectable
• pleasing
• inviting
• comforting
• soothing
• cheering

Synonym Chooser

How is the word gruesome different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of gruesome are ghastly, grisly, lurid, and macabre. While all these words mean "horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect," grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.

an unusually grisly murder

suffered a gruesome death

Where would ghastly be a reasonable alternative to gruesome?

The words ghastly and gruesome can be used in similar contexts, but ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

How do lurid and gruesome relate to one another?

Lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder.

the lurid details of a crime

When can macabre be used instead of gruesome?

While the synonyms macabre and gruesome are close in meaning, macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of gruesome

Priscilla Marshall, 34, showed no emotion while an assistant state's attorney read the gruesome details, saying Marshall managed to keep the abuse a secret from neighbors and her son's school for years. —Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026

The moment causes Byron, a selfish and braggadocious villain, to have a change of heart, stopping shipments of The Beauty and paying off the families ravaged by its gruesome side effects, like Bella’s. —Hunter Ingram, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026

After Brittany Battaglia had been missing for several days, Chicago police officers made a gruesome discovery at the the Logan Square apartment of her boyfriend, Genesis Silva, on June 5, 2023, prosecutors said yesterday. —Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026

The thick atmosphere of the underwater PATHOS-II research facility has a lot to do with it, but the game's gruesome take on AI and transhumanism is the reason it's still being talked about over a decade after launch. —Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 1 Mar. 2026