Synonyms of macabre

macabre

adjective

mə-ˈkäb 

as in gruesome

extremely disturbing or repellent

a macabre movie about animated corpses

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gruesome
• horrific
• shocking
• nightmare
• frightening
• horrifying
• horrible
• terrible
• grisly
• terrifying
• terrific
• scary
• hideous
• nightmarish
• dreadful
• awful
• ghastly
• sickening
• appalling
• lurid
• frightful
• horrid
• monstrous
• disgusting
• horrendous
• atrocious
• alarming
• grotesque
• fearful
• obscene
• dire
• ugly
• formidable
• repulsive
• revolting
• offensive
• loathsome
• direful
• repugnant
• heinous
• unspeakable
• bloodcurdling
• abhorrent
• intimidating
• odious
• forbidding
• disagreeable
• deplorable
• evil
• abominable
• fearsome
• gut-wrenching
• obnoxious
• distasteful
• vile
• hair-raising
• heart-stopping
• nauseating
• redoubtable
• noxious
• noisome
• unsightly
• foul

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• delightful
• pleasant
• attractive
• delicious
• appealing
• welcome
• enjoyable
• agreeable
• satisfying
• delectable
• pleasurable
• enticing
• pleasing
• inviting
• comforting
• soothing
• cheering

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

Recent Examples of macabre

This delicate piece features embroidery that recreates hair tentacles, like a macabre bride marrying the natural world to Surrealism. — Literary Hub, 11 May 2026

Organizers describe the event as a lifestyle celebration for the gothic and macabre community to feel at home. — Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 6 May 2026

His miniature fingernail polish paintings of everyday objects — a purse, a lipstick tube, a stiletto — are equal parts playful and macabre. — Tara Anne Dalbow, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2026

Connecting the dots Back in 2022, Dixon and Cove, who works for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, made a rather macabre discovery, but one that has turned out to be a silver lining in the war against the Burmese python. — Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2026

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!