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Glite Dictionary
😱 Very strange 🗿 A strange figure
grotesque

grotesque

2 8.1
A strange decorative design that mixes human, animal, and plant shapes
  • noun
  • /ɡroʊˈtɛsk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : motivo grotesco
  • Gomez and Morticia dance among the Addams Family relatives—that portrait gallery of grotesques come to life.

Examples

  • Her book of essays on the grotesque, The Secret Life of Puppets, will be published by Verso.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Books stamped with grotesques and curlicues were arranged so that the gilded spines formed neat patterns against the walls.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • I looked out the window but did not see the ancient carved grotesques outside.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The animal figures in your photos are called grotesques or gargoyles, which are used to scare off evil spirits.

    Blog text (26)

  • Could the detail atop the Sheridan Plaza be the urns' grotesques noted by Open House Chicago?

    Blog text (26)

  • The museum's collection features many grotesques that depict fanciful creatures and exaggerated figures.

  • During the tour, we admired the beautifully carved grotesques on the gothic cathedral's facade.

  • Artists often draw inspiration from grotesques to create unique and imaginative sculptures.

Synonyms

monstrosity
vsgrotesque
23 8.2

A very ugly thing that looks frightening, often a building

is an ornamental style using strange, mixed figures rather than just ugly shapes
grotesquery
vsgrotesque
2 9.9

A strange, often ugly scene that looks distorted

is an ornamental style showing mixed human, animal, and plant figures
grotesquerie
vsgrotesque
1 9.9

A strange and ugly quality in people and things that shocks and interests

is an ornamental style that combines strange figures for decoration

Antonyms

beautiful
∞ 1.0

Pleasant to see, hear, or think about

elegant
165 3.3

Having an attractive, stylish look that shows good taste

How Strange

monstrosity
23 8.2
grotesque
  • Specialized
2 8.1
carving
70 2.7
ornament
102 1.6

Surface Forms

grotesque singular
grotesques plural

Morphology

grotesque = grotto (opaque) = grotto + esque

Although historically built from 'grotto' + '-esque', the modern decorative sense is not derivable by an average learner from 'grotto' and '-esque'.

Etymology

Grotesque as a noun comes from the Italian word grottesca, from grotta 'cave'. Artists found odd decorative designs in old underground rooms and called them 'grottesche', so grotesque now means a decorative style of odd, mixed figures.