as in somber
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
a pessimist who is given to morbid introspection and thoughts of death
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Recent Examples of morbid
For students of yogis, looking for relics in cremains is not a morbid fascination, but an act of unshakeable faith and an expectation that their guru would leave behind a message — a physical sign of their spiritual realization, Zopa said.
—
Deepa Bharath, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
That morbid curiosity sent me on a journey to understand the politics and dangers of prison.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 24 Feb. 2026
If the tonal whiplash doesn’t zap your spirit, the double-bummer of a relentlessly morbid penultimate episode and its impossibly bonkers finale has to leave you questioning whether Season 2 can get back on track.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Feb. 2026
Written in a joking and contemptuous tone, the tweet would take on an indescribably morbid weight just five days later, when, at the behest of Governor Cláudio Castro, the Rio de Janeiro police carried out the deadliest massacre in the country’s history.
—Evandro Cruz Silva, The Dial, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for morbid
Deepa Bharath, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
That morbid curiosity sent me on a journey to understand the politics and dangers of prison.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 24 Feb. 2026
If the tonal whiplash doesn’t zap your spirit, the double-bummer of a relentlessly morbid penultimate episode and its impossibly bonkers finale has to leave you questioning whether Season 2 can get back on track.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Feb. 2026
Written in a joking and contemptuous tone, the tweet would take on an indescribably morbid weight just five days later, when, at the behest of Governor Cláudio Castro, the Rio de Janeiro police carried out the deadliest massacre in the country’s history.
—Evandro Cruz Silva, The Dial, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for morbid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for morbid
Adjective
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Whatever your position on the war, killing human beings is a matter for somber reflection and not the intense joy Hegseth displays.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
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The big story Instead of trumpeting China's tech advances, Premier Li Qiang struck an uncharacteristically somber tone during a nationwide address on policy plans.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The aggression with which both parties have worked to manipulate district lines—while loudly inveighing against the other party for doing the exact same thing—is cynical and depressing.—
Ian Crouch,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
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The case exposed the depressing banality of it all—the man smiling politely at you at the bakery, only to rape your comatose body at night.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For two teens unable to use their legs, the future was especially bleak.—
Nicole Acevedo,
NBC news,
7 Mar. 2026
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So what’s to be done when things look bleak?—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Alcohol can make depressive symptoms even worse.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
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An acute spike in IL-6 following heat exposure appears to correlate with how much depressive symptoms improve.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Police released an image captured from a surveillance video showing a person wearing dark clothes and a backpack, with their face covered.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Mar. 2026
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But the late-Baroque facade of the building conceals a special, darker history, one that reflects persistent political and legal problems for the bank thousands of miles away, in the US.—
Hugo Miller,
Bloomberg,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Gary is a lonely, unassuming postal worker who loves the Counting Crows.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
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Its 1959 Googie-style sign pierces the sky, a beacon of hope for weary road-trippers cruising this achingly lonely stretch of highway.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Comedian Chris Tucker added some levity to the solemn services with a stand-up set.—
Matt Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Also present for the solemn event were governors and senators from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Florida.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Instead, adventurous beachgoers can check out the remains of hundreds of shipwrecks, lodged in the desolate sand.—
Melanie van Zyl,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Mar. 2026
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Your character is a shape-shifting Ditto, and you’ve been dropped in a desolate landscape.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Morbid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/morbid. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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