1
2
a
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a style of architecture developed in northern France and spreading through western Europe from the middle of the 12th century to the early 16th century that is characterized by the converging of weights and strains at isolated points upon slender vertical piers and counterbalancing buttresses and by pointed arches and vaulting
Gothic cathedrals
b
: of or relating to an architectural style reflecting the influence of the medieval Gothic
3
often not capitalized
: of or relating to a style of fiction characterized by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious, or violent incidents
Gothic novels
1
a
b
2
: Gothic art style or decoration
specifically
: the Gothic architectural style
3
: the East Germanic language of the Goths see Indo-European Languages Table
4
often not capitalized
: a novel, film, or play in the gothic style
Examples of Gothic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Eddi Fiegel, Robb Report, 17 July 2025
Nearly a century after opening as a grand railway hotel, this 1,339-room Gothic revival masterpiece still feels magical.
—Heather Greenwood Davis, AFAR Media, 16 July 2025
That building burned down in 1905, but The Gilded Age team found another handsome Gothic Revival–style Episcopal church, even designed by the same architect as St. Thomas, Richard Upjohn.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 14 July 2025
Her dreamy, ambient sound explores American Gothic themes, drawing on her own upbringing in the Southern Baptist church.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Gothic
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Noun
Amid colonnaded plazas where the bells of Gothic and Baroque churches chime on the hour, my first lunchtime stop was at Bar Txepetxa, which first opened in 1925 and whose walls are lined with photos of stars such as Ian McKellen and Glenn Close.
—Eddi Fiegel, Robb Report, 17 July 2025
Nearly a century after opening as a grand railway hotel, this 1,339-room Gothic revival masterpiece still feels magical.
—Heather Greenwood Davis, AFAR Media, 16 July 2025
That building burned down in 1905, but The Gilded Age team found another handsome Gothic Revival–style Episcopal church, even designed by the same architect as St. Thomas, Richard Upjohn.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 14 July 2025
Her dreamy, ambient sound explores American Gothic themes, drawing on her own upbringing in the Southern Baptist church.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Gothic
Cite this Entry
“Gothic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gothic. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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