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
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
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruesomeness
Noun
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The project is directed by the late Jeffrey Primm, a lifelong film and horror fan who had long set out to make a feature in the genre.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
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The former plantation rejects the rosy antebellum view, focusing instead on slavery’s horrors.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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While many right-wing politicos take issue with Fuentes’ most polarizing positions, such as skepticism about the atrocities committed during the Holocaust, highly influential conservatives including Tucker Carlson have taken an interest in at least some of his views.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2026
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The counterargument is that the world is filled with so many visible atrocities right now that a make-believe movie poster seems like the least of our problems.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Apr. 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 26 Apr. 2026.
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