gruesome

adjective

grue·​some ˈgrü-səm 

variants or less commonly grewsome

: inspiring horror or repulsion : grisly

gruesome stories of wounded comrades

gruesomely adverb

gruesomeness noun

Synonyms

• appalling
• atrocious
• awful
• dreadful
• frightful
• ghastly
• grisly
• hideous
• horrendous
• horrible
• horrid
• horrific
• horrifying
• lurid
• macabre
• monstrous
• nightmare
• nightmarish
• shocking
• terrible
• terrific

Choose the Right Synonym for gruesome

ghastly, grisly, gruesome, macabre, lurid mean horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect.

ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.

an unusually grisly murder

suffered a gruesome death

macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial

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

the lurid details of a crime

Examples of gruesome in a Sentence

The police report described the scene in gruesome detail.

didn't stick around to hear the gruesome details of the car accident

Recent Examples on the Web

One popular, gruesome theory has it that a truck ran her over and then sped away, but what happened for sure, no one can tell. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024

Before his gruesome leg injury, the 24-year-old pass-rusher was on pace to secure an NFL Defensive Player of the Year trophy. —Jesse Reed, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

With a hushed reverence (the film’s splendid, Chopin-heavy soundtrack goes pin-drop silent here), James escorts them through the stark, gruesome chambers of the compound, accompanied by the ghosts of its countless victims. —Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024

But as the gruesome murders continue, Sheriff Weaver (Mulroney) struggles to catch the killer, and the town spirals into panic. —Marc Malkin, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier growsome, from English dialect grow, grue to shiver, from Middle English gruen, probably from Middle Dutch grūwen; akin to Old High German ingrūēn to shiver

First Known Use

circa 1700, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

gruesome

adjective

grue·​some ˈgrü-səm 

: causing horror or disgust : horrible

gruesomely adverb

gruesomeness noun