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

It was later discovered he had been killed in a gruesome attack that U.S. intelligence says was ordered by the country's de facto leader Mohammed bin Salman. —Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 16 May 2025

But the rich emotional depth of that film is matched in Bring Her Back, a horror movie that delights in gruesome practical effects but also presents a nuanced character study, with little judgement passed on its bereaved antagonist, Laura. —Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 16 May 2025

While trying to score on a sacrifice fly from Aaron Judge, Yankees third baseman Oswaldo Cabrera suffered a gruesome ankle injury that ultimately sent him to the hospital. —Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025

Cabrera had fractured his ankle in a gruesome play hours before in the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 11-5 win over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night. —Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 14 May 2025

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