Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of macabre are ghastly, grisly, gruesome, and lurid. While all these words mean "horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect," macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial

When would ghastly be a good substitute for macabre?

The synonyms ghastly and macabre are sometimes interchangeable, but ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

How are the words grisly and gruesome related as synonyms of macabre?

Both grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.

an unusually grisly murder
suffered a gruesome death

How do lurid and gruesome relate to one another, in the sense of macabre?

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

the lurid details of a crime

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 macabre The closing film is Dead Lover, a zany, macabre horror-comedy from Canadian director Grace Glowicki. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 July 2025 Along those lines, Gaga used costumes, staging and choreography evoking the gothic, macabre and symbolic. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 24 July 2025 Jenna Ortega is all set to return as Wednesday Addams for another year of kooky, macabre hijinks. Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 11 July 2025 For five seasons, creator and host Rod Serling guided unsuspecting viewers through some of the most haunting, macabre stories ever told. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for macabre
Recent Examples of Synonyms for macabre
Adjective
  • Gonzalez-Rasalas was charged with murder, desecrating a body and auto theft in a gruesome 2023 Easter Sunday homicide.
    Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 6 Sep. 2025
  • At the time, and in the next nearly two years, the Kansas City region also experienced the gruesome abuse and neglect deaths of three children ages 4 to 6, including one boy who fell from a 17th floor apartment window in November 2023.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • But, really, does enough training exist that would prepare anyone for such a horrific emergency?
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Seeing the Packers miss the playoffs would be a shocking outcome for the 2025 season.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • That alone would be nightmare enough, but this debate has been constructed and is moderated by Sam Reich.
    Nic Juarez, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Macabre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/macabre. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on macabre

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!