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grotesque

grotesque

75 6.9
Being very strange and ugly in a way that shocks or amuses
  • adjective
  • /ɡroʊˈtɛsk/
translation icon : grotesco
  • To engage in the slave trade is to look upon the utmost of grotesque horrors.
  • grotesque image
  • grotesque characters
  • grotesque body

Like all these like kids playing with dildos, all this like really like grotesque, like infantile stuff.

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Examples

  • The thing I remember from that day is how shocked I was at this grotesque tragedy.

  • The world of magic is invaded by needs and physical laws and, and and and what ensues are grotesque images.

  • It's a really interesting movie and funny and sad and grotesque and down home.

  • The idea is grotesque and irreligious.

  • Very small people were considered deformed and were given the role of grotesque fools.

    Academic text (2011)
  • And then your sister pulls up the most grotesque, unflattering picture and your friends start laughing.

  • And to me, that is so ugly, so grotesque, so immoral that I felt compelled to speak out about it.

  • It's grotesque.

  • The alien's face contorted in its grotesque parody of a human smile.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The paintings in the gallery depicted grotesque figures that seemed both fascinating and disturbing.

Synonyms

horrible
vsgrotesque
1.5

Very bad or frightening in a way that makes you feel upset

is more about bizarre, repulsive distortion than general unpleasantness
bizarre
vsgrotesque
406 5.9

Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is stranger still, often mixing repulsion with a comic edge
horrific
vsgrotesque
179 5.5

Causing great fear or shock

leans more to oddness and comic repulsion rather than sheer terror
hideous
vsgrotesque
171 5.1

Very ugly and likely to make people feel shocked or disgusted

emphasizes strange or comically distorted oddness rather than pure ugliness
freaky
vsgrotesque
  • Informal
165 6.9

Strange in a way that makes you feel scared or nervous

is similarly odd but more likely to be grotesquely distorted or repulsive
gruesome
vsgrotesque
  • NSFW
90 6.2

Shocking and unpleasant because it shows death or serious injury

is different because it focuses on odd, sometimes comic distortion not gore
horrendous
vsgrotesque
82 7.0

Very shocking and scary, causing fear or disgust

is stranger in an odd or comically repulsive way rather than only dreadful
grim
vsgrotesque
57 4.5

Very bad and shocking, causing people to feel fear or sadness

is different by adding odd, sometimes comical distortion rather than only gloom
horrid
vsgrotesque
52 4.1

A very unpleasant thing that shocks or disgusts you

is more narrowly about odd, distorted appearance that can also be comical
ghastly
vsgrotesque
49 6.8

Causing great fear and shock, often like death or ghosts

is less about terror and more about strange, oddly distorted repulsion
freakish
vsgrotesque
23 6.8

Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

adds stronger sense of distortion that can feel repulsive or comic
monstrous
vsgrotesque
18 5.4

Very ugly and frightening in shape like a strange creature

is stranger and can seem comically or repulsively odd rather than only hideous
nightmarish
vsgrotesque
17 7.0

Very frightening and unpleasant, like a bad dream

is less dreamlike terror and more oddly distorted or repulsively odd
atrocious
vsgrotesque
12 7.6

Very cruel and shocking, causing great pain and fear

focuses more on strange and distorted oddness than on cruelty or brutality
antic
vsgrotesque
3 8.1

Oddly funny in a strange way

is similar but leans more to repulsive oddness rather than just humour
distorted
vsgrotesque
4.4

Twisted out of shape so it looks ugly or unnatural

adds an element of strange or comical repulsion beyond mere misshaping
deformed
vsgrotesque
4.6

Having a shape that is not normal and often looking ugly

carries extra sense of oddly repulsive or comically distorted appearance
ostrobogulous
vsgrotesque
  • NSFW
9.9

Strange and sometimes a little shocking

shares oddness but is more likely to be repulsively distorted

Antonyms

1.0

Usual or expected in most situations

314 1.0

Giving a gentle feeling of enjoyment

How Strange

monstrous
18 5.4
bizarre
406 5.9
grotesque
75 6.9
strange
2.3
odd
798 1.0

Surface Forms

grotesque positive

Morphology

grotesque = grotto (opaque) = grotto + esque

The adjectival sense 'strange' or 'distorted' reflects a semantic shift and is not inferable from 'grotto' + '-esque' by average learners.

Etymology

Grotesque as an adjective comes from the same Italian root grotta 'cave' where strange, mixed figures were discovered. That's why grotesque today describes something very 'strange' or 'distorted', often in a way that is funny or frightening.