GRUESOME Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'gruesome' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of gruesome are ghastly , grisly , lurid , and macabre . While all these words mean "horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect," grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty. // an unusually grisly murder // suffered a gruesome death

Q: Where would 'ghastly' be a reasonable alternative to 'gruesome'?

The words ghastly and gruesome can be used in similar contexts, but ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts. // a ghastly accident

Q: How do 'lurid' and 'gruesome' relate to one another?

Lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder. // the lurid details of a crime

Q: When can 'macabre' be used instead of 'gruesome'?

While the synonyms macabre and gruesome are close in meaning, macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death. // a macabre tale of premature burial

gruesome

adjective

ˈgrü-səm

variants also grewsome

Definition of gruesome

as in horrific

extremely disturbing or repellent didn't stick around to hear the gruesome details of the car accident

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

Some common synonyms of gruesome are ghastly, grisly, lurid, and macabre. While all these words mean "horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect," grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.

an unusually grisly murder

suffered a gruesome death

Where would ghastly be a reasonable alternative to gruesome?

The words ghastly and gruesome can be used in similar contexts, but ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

How do lurid and gruesome relate to one another?

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

the lurid details of a crime

When can macabre be used instead of gruesome?

While the synonyms macabre and gruesome are close in meaning, macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial

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 gruesome Horrified by the gruesome scene, Police Chief Lucas Lind (Anders Mossling) places homicide detective Thomas Berg (Jakob Oftebro) in charge of the investigation. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026 The ensuing encounter, probably the most gruesome cinematic dental scene since Marathon Man, will scare you into scheduling a deep cleaning post-haste. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026 He gets eaten by a dinosaur in the movie’s most gruesome scene, yet his character still has a happy ending. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 One of the more gruesome stories about bedbugs and human health was detailed in a 2020 medical journal case report from France. — ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gruesome

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gruesome

Adjective

And because Kennerly has captured moments both triumphant and horrific, a warning, some of these pictures are graphic.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
The offseason has been horrific at UNC — will the football improve?

— Bob Ferrante, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of horrific

Adjective

As men, women and children flooded across the border between Morocco and Spain, into the autonomous city of Ceuta at the end of July, European populists and anti-immigrant politicians capitalized on the shocking images of human desperation.

— Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
The number was so shocking that the company became a symbol of industrial power and financial concentration.

— Dave Birnbaum, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of shocking

Adjective

As horrible news stories go, few could compare with what happened on a Greek holiday island Monday.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ terrible, horrible, no good, very bad reelection campaign just got worse after Wednesday night’s debate in Sherman Oaks.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of horrible

Adjective

This is the nightmare scenario behind the Kessler syndrome, a cascading chain of collisions that could render entire orbital pathways unusable.

— Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2026
But the 22-year-old is not alone in having a nightmare individual performance on a high-profile sporting stage.

— Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026

Definition of nightmare

Adjective

Equal parts emotional, horrifying and humorous, Pagans unearths all our darkest thoughts about family.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
Soon, the horrifying virus is everywhere, and resulting scarcities of water, food, and medicine cause panic, which leads to false conspiracy theories, riots, and an utter collapse of social trust.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of horrifying

Adjective

But even without it, there seems to be some truth to the idea that if these teams were terrible businesses, they wouldn’t be sold for billions of dollars.

— Evan Drellich, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Not by tightening the siege on Iran directly, but by tightening the siege on those who help this regime, this terrible dictatorship.

— Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of terrible

Adjective

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix circuit has proved to be a treacherous one, and that was highlighted in a frightening crash involving a pair of drivers early in the race.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
And because cognition is so closely tied to a person’s sense of competence and identity, those changes can be surprisingly frightening.

— Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of frightening

Browse Nearby Words

grueling

gruesome

gruesomeness

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“Gruesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gruesome. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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