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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grotesque
Dave Quinn, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
In this way, these prominent firms bestow their seal of approval on this grotesque abuse of power.
—James Speyer, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 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
Removing their dark veils, the two expose their grotesque faces, their exaggerated makeup cracked, peeling and flaking off in chunks.
—Dave Quinn, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
In this way, these prominent firms bestow their seal of approval on this grotesque abuse of power.
—James Speyer, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 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
-
Arrowhead first set the Guinness world record for loudest stadium in 2013.—
Nate Taylor,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
Inspired by global travels and family life abroad, one designer’s babywear line swaps loud prints for quiet elegance — from Sydney to Charleston and beyond. ByJordi Lippe-McGraw, Contributor.—
Jordi Lippe-McGraw,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
Compare the first half of Season 15 to Jodie Whittaker’s last outing as the Doctor, and things get uglier.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
-
The birds' droppings end up on the ground and windows below, creating an ugly scene for staff, branch patrons and passersby walking in the River Market District.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
The message of Bring Her Back may be that grief is the real monster.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
30 May 2025
-
Almost anyone 18 and older that appears onscreen is a monster here, and anyone younger is either prey or a means to an end.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
Though Nicole reserves her harshest jabs for Jorgeous, the real heat is between Tina and Mistress.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
-
Padilla had harsh comments for the president and the GOP in a statement Thursday after the House vote.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
But Eleanor has backed herself into an awful corner, and in some ways, so too has Johansson’s film, which is stuck trying to impart sage wisdom through the lens of a truly hideous (if well-meaning) lie.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
20 May 2025
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There are no save-the-cat redemptions for a man who became famous for torturing, murdering and performing hideous experiments on countless Jews as part of a team of doctors overseeing medical services at Auschwitz-Birkenau.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
High-end grotesqueries out of Fellini or Visconti would have been more apt.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
-
By contrast, Doom: The Dark Ages flings the player back into the dark ages to witness a war between two factions that look like a low-rent knock-off imitation of series like Warhammer — grotesqueries and all.—
Kazuma Hashimoto,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Still to this day, seeing a sea of red robes walking in twos is jarring.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
29 May 2025
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Lighting designer Richard Norwood’s overhead fluorescents shine a harsh glare on Bisa’s Victorian-esque costumes, with jarring buzzes from sound designer Rick Sims punctuating the sudden lighting changes.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 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 4 Jun. 2025.
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