as in horror
the quality of inspiring intense dread or dismay
permanently scarred by the sheer gruesomeness of what she had witnessed during the war
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Recent Examples of gruesomeness
The result is depressingly rizzless for something based on a game famous for its gruesomeness.
—
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Even early on, before the gruesomeness starts spiraling out of control, Stephen McKeon’s stabbing, head-scrambling score and Peter Albrechtsen’s gut-churning soundscape work overtime to jangle our nerves.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Even early on, before the gruesomeness starts spiraling out of control, Stephen McKeon’s stabbing, head-scrambling score and Peter Albrechtsen’s gut-churning soundscape work overtime to jangle our nerves.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruesomeness
Noun
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And Spielberg has always had one foot in the horror genre.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
9 June 2026
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The poetic horror drama follows a young mother fleeing a toxic relationship and reconnecting with her grandmother, who carries wounds of her own.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
9 June 2026
Noun
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In New York state social studies classes, communism and socialism are presented as two economic systems that make things more equal and fair, with no historical references to the atrocities committed by socialist and communist regimes confiscating property.—
Betsy McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
8 June 2026
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For Holocaust Survivor Day, which is observed globally on June 4, nearly 130 survivors gathered with friends and neighbors at Temple Beth Emet in Cooper City to celebrate their lives and important contributions in educating future generations about the atrocities of the Holocaust.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
Noun
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In a world so full of dread and awfulness, why not take a moment to read anonymous petty literary gossip on the internet?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
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The relative excitement around the Rockies having arrived in San Diego at 6-6 is a reaction based on their relative awfulness.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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No amount of gore or ghastliness is off limits for the series, produced by horror champions Blumhouse, as Nicole Kidman's titular medical examiner pores over the remains of the dead.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gruesomeness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruesomeness. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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