1
as in loud
disagreeable to one's aesthetic or artistic sense
the gaudy, overdecorated interior of the gambling casino was just too grotesque for my taste
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
that bloody Halloween mask is grotesque
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in monster
a strange or horrible and often frightening creature
a gallery of grotesques from some horror movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grotesque
Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
Remember: Tren de Aragua is one of the most grotesque drug organizations in the entire world.
—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
His early short films, such as Six Men Getting Sick (1967) and The Grandmother (1970), showcased his talent for blending the grotesque with the beautiful, setting the stage for his groundbreaking debut feature, Eraserhead (1977).
—Darryn King, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grotesque
Adjective
Returnal Returnal was one of the first exclusives of the PS5 generation; a fabulously grotesque sci-fi horror dirge, and still worth your attention today.
—Luke Winkie, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2025
Remember: Tren de Aragua is one of the most grotesque drug organizations in the entire world.
—Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
Winifred, the protagonist of this Victorian-era grotesque, takes a position as a governess at an English manor.
—The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
His early short films, such as Six Men Getting Sick (1967) and The Grandmother (1970), showcased his talent for blending the grotesque with the beautiful, setting the stage for his groundbreaking debut feature, Eraserhead (1977).
—Darryn King, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grotesque
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grotesque
Adjective
-
In a nutshell, this Mango crossbody is trendy without being loud: a balance that will serve you well, especially when paired with a maxi skirt, white sneakers, and a transitional-weather cashmere sweater almost as soft as the item itself.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
-
The sigh of relief heard on Wall Street was almost as loud on Capitol Hill, where GOP lawmakers let out a collective exhale.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Everyone knew it, especially when some San Francisco Giants batters took ugly hacks against it in the first inning.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Win that one, too, of course, and the No. 1-seed Cleveland Cavaliers and the best record in the NBA Eastern Conference would await to very likely only elongate the end for this Heat season and end it ugly. Do not expect a play-in to the Finals miracle run like Miami pulled off two years ago.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The space monsters are also entirely terrifying, gestating inside young suns to hideously emerge as massive space insects.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Natalie and a real-estate agent named Dawn (Danielle Brooks), in search of the missing Henry, make their way to the Overworld, too, and the four team up with Steve in a painfully generic adventure to fight off monsters, find another Crystal, save the Overworld (and Dennis), and get back home.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Hope reigns even in this harsh political climate we Americans are now experiencing.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
-
With harsh conditions and adversaries threatening to end the Dutton legacy, Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) embarks on an arduous journey home, racing against time to save his family in Montana.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The month leading up to their Champions League tie with Real Madrid has been absolutely hideous.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
-
The architectural vandalism was hideous and heartbreaking to watch, inhumane civic renewal by wrecking ball in the discredited vein of Robert Moses.—
Frank Rich,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Severance is really letting its body-horror freak flag fly this season, and the grotesquerie of its obsession with how bodies can be manipulated, against our will or without our knowledge, includes Gemma but isn’t limited to her.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Dreamy forests and bright angels curdle and mutate into digital grotesquerie, a Spam Folder of faceless creatures and shock shlock.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
While seeing your university represented in one of the most popular TV shows can be jarring, the school’s response to the suicidal ideation scene also took some of the students aback.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Apr. 2025
-
At the very least, Angry Birds 2 is sometimes jarring, and that’s not nothing in a land of vanilla crowd pleasers.—
Jordan Crucchiola,
Vulture,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Smears on non-sensor areas of the tiara are like bug debris on your hood, aesthetically unpleasing but not harmful.—
Eric Tegler,
Popular Mechanics,
1 Oct. 2019
-
His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.—
SI.com,
SI.com,
1 Feb. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Grotesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grotesque. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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