as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
a macabre movie about animated corpses
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of macabre
Brother Giulio Cesareo, spokesman for the Franciscans in Assisi, said the exposition wasn’t a macabre celebration of the dead.
—
ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026
This traveling oddities festival features artists, vendors, performers, educators and guest speakers, all working to create a macabre and magical experience for attendees.
—Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
But their weekly exchanges — the format finds each sharing mostly macabre stories, with a comedic slant that’s rare in the genre — would soon surpass 30 million monthly downloads.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Filling out this adorably macabre world are characters like the psychic Sally (Catherine O’Hara), the frightening Oogie Boogie (Ken Page), and Sandy Claws himself (Ed Ivory).
—Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for macabre
ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026
This traveling oddities festival features artists, vendors, performers, educators and guest speakers, all working to create a macabre and magical experience for attendees.
—Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026
But their weekly exchanges — the format finds each sharing mostly macabre stories, with a comedic slant that’s rare in the genre — would soon surpass 30 million monthly downloads.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Filling out this adorably macabre world are characters like the psychic Sally (Catherine O’Hara), the frightening Oogie Boogie (Ken Page), and Sandy Claws himself (Ed Ivory).
—Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for macabre
Recent Examples of Synonyms for macabre
Adjective
-
What follows is a crescendo of bloody madness, including a gruesome toenail cutting scene that shouldn’t be viewed while eating, a grandma being eaten alive by a pack of coyotes and a truly bonkers wake that erupts into laugh-out-loud violence thanks to a pair of dentures.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
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Since then, The Pitt has blown up in an unlikely way for any cultural object in the 2020s, much less a gruesome medical drama.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The horrific Los Angeles wildfires caused over $75 billion in insured losses and claimed the lives of 31 Californians.—
Scott Wiener,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The horrific discovery spurred a wider search on Long Island over the following year – nearly a dozen bodies were found in all – and raised fears of a serial killer on the loose.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star in Kristoffer Borgli’s rug-pull rom-com, which follows a soon-to-be-married couple whose relationship implodes after a shocking revelation.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2026
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The series abruptly concluded with Lois' shocking pregnancy news and Malcolm just starting his freshman year at Harvard.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Macabre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/macabre. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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