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 Rather, art is often an escape from the ugly realities of life, or perhaps a macabre study of them without reverence. Alexandra Bregman, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025 With its whip-smart banter, breathless thrills, and macabre humor, The X-Files spooked an entire generation, creating a ripple effect still felt on TV today. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 3 July 2025 Nothing is jumping out as simultaneously mundane and macabre though. James Folta, Literary Hub, 30 May 2025 Burg and Koules also viewed a seven-minute short featuring Whannell with his head in a macabre bear trap. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for macabre
Recent Examples of Synonyms for macabre
Adjective
  • But the gruesome truth remains — more than 120 are people are dead, including children.
    Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
  • Other all-original haunted houses will include Jason Universe, which takes guests back to the summer camp where, one Friday the 13th, the gruesome legend was born.
    Tom Tapp, Deadline, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • Family recounts parents' efforts to save children The family of the two children who died in the flooding recounted in a GoFundMe page the horrific moment floodwaters swept the young siblings away and the desperate attempt by their parents to save their lives.
    Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 11 July 2025
  • California homeowner’s insurance premiums were already rising before the horrific Southern California wildfires in January.
    Scott Cohn, CNBC, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • Bonnie came to her father's defense in May 2020 after Chapman shared the shocking news of his engagement to girlfriend Francie just 10 months after Beth’s death.
    Skyler Caruso, People.com, 21 July 2025
  • In a TikTok video, mother Mackenzie Dodd summed up the whiplash of noticing something minor about her newborn baby, only to discover a shocking diagnosis.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Macabre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/macabre. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on macabre

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