variants also grewsome

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gruesome The shooting brought a gruesome end to what authorities described in court papers as an otherwise ordinary day, which began with Chan’s parents going shopping at Walmart with another couple. Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2025 The gruesome living arrangement was discovered in early July after the brother of 64-year-old James Frances O’Neill called the Lakewood Police Department and requested a welfare check, according to a July 11 police arrest affidavit. Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 18 Aug. 2025 Out of nowhere, Raymond’s head explodes in a gruesome practical effect that would have made Roger Corman proud. Hunter Ingram, Variety, 15 Aug. 2025 Without attempting to exonerate Lucius, who shares some gruesome details about his crimes, the play encourages audience members to look beyond the orange jumpsuit and consider the complicated man and the circumstances that led to his horrific actions. Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gruesome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruesome
Adjective
  • The video offers a rosy view of the situation on the ground in a theatre that has become notorious for human wave attacks and horrific attrition rates on the Russian side.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2025
  • How could someone like E. Jean Carroll, someone so open and honest, someone who reveled in telling it straight, who believed in the power and magic of women, not only be a victim of a horrific act but then stay quiet about it for so long?
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • As a Minneapolis resident and Minnesota native, these past few days have been horrible.
    Sam Woodward, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2025
  • However, in the immediate aftermath of something horrible, when everyone feels helpless, prayer can be a good place to go at the start, said Collins.
    Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Perhaps the biggest moment was her shocking termination as principal, which not only upset her fictional colleagues but also viewers.
    Giana Levy, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
  • In a shocking turn of events, Weems is Wednesday’s new spirit guide, or figure from beyond death who will help Wednesday with her psychic visions.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Whether your team is in the middle of a winning run or mired in terrible form, five minutes looking at the standings can convince you that a hundred different futures are possible.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
  • While the latter is known for its legendarily terrible English localization, both of these were highly innovative horizontal scrolling shmups for their time.
    Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Don’t rely on an aesthetic that most people can easily see is awful.
    Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Traveling down a dirt road in the park, the men heard the awful sound of a tire on the RV going flat.
    Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Trump’s project has emboldened ICE agents in frightening ways, too.
    Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Her treatment began on May 20, 2024 at Michiana Hematology Oncology in Mishawaka, Indiana, but immediately took a frightening turn.
    Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gruesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruesome. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on gruesome

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