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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of gruesome
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Overall, the 86 is a modern mecha anime classic and harks back to the likes of Armored Trooper VOTOMS, albeit with a darker and more gruesome twist.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
His anguished mother insisted on an open-casket ceremony to show the world the gruesome cruelty of lynching.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
My dad was the superintendent of schools in that town at the time, and the media's appetite for the gruesome details was insatiable.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gruesome
Adjective
In September 2024, Israel blew up the group’s pagers, causing gruesome injuries as the devices detonated in Hezbollah operatives’ pockets.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Overall, the 86 is a modern mecha anime classic and harks back to the likes of Armored Trooper VOTOMS, albeit with a darker and more gruesome twist.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
His anguished mother insisted on an open-casket ceremony to show the world the gruesome cruelty of lynching.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
My dad was the superintendent of schools in that town at the time, and the media's appetite for the gruesome details was insatiable.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gruesome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruesome
Adjective
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An initial report of a paralyzed kitten being thrown down a staircase led police in Northern Ohio to a home where officers reported finding 13 young children living in horrific conditions.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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But, really, does enough training exist that would prepare anyone for such a horrific emergency?—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Moore previously served as the defense attorney for Louise and David Turpin, the California couple who abused and imprisoned their 13 children and dependent adults in a 'house of horrors' for years.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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The Hateful Eight and also headlined the horror-Western Bone Tomahawk, which featured Fox in a supporting role.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But that spring, my mental health wasn’t in a good place thanks to the volatile combination of two years of pandemic lockdown, switching my antidepressants, my undiagnosed ADHD and a horrible case of writer's block.—
Alison Cochrun,
People.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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The Succession Wars took a much darker turn thanks to the development of not just Battlemechs but of horrible flesh and steel monsters called abominations.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The impressive amount of hair on the top of his head owes everything to United’s shocking results on the field.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
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Seeing the Packers miss the playoffs would be a shocking outcome for the 2025 season.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What if the atrocities amount to genocide?—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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So much atrocity, so much terror is unbearable.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Overall, this wasn’t a terrible episode, but having our heroes start in the UK and then end up in Spain in the first episode felt rushed and wasteful.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Both men are good, both men are bad and both men have made terrible mistakes.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Howard, now in his 70s, decided to make a film about the fundamental awfulness of other humans, delivering one of his darkest stories in the process.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
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The awfulness of it scrapes my veins, turning everything orange and raw.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But for the rest of us mere mortals, the idea of stepping into an ice bath for 10 minutes a day is awful.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Sep. 2025
-
And then these families are in this awful position.—
Elizabeth B. Kim,
The Enquirer,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gruesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruesome. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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