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macabre

macabre

14 8.7
Strange and upsetting because it shows death or injury
  • adjective
  • /məˈkɑːb/
  • NSFW
translation icon : macabro
  • The museum displayed a series of macabre paintings depicting scenes of death and despair.

So it kills and several very imaginative and very macabre ways.

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Examples

  • I must admit, some of your friends have a macabre sense of humor.

  • He found a macabre thrill in reading horror stories that detailed gruesome events.

  • All right, I thought it was kind of, you know, macabre to show, you know, death.

  • In time, we even found a few funny, macabre things to say.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • It's like a macabre and twisted photo album of pictures you do not want to see.

  • Ron and Marie themselves have never been seen since, just another macabre mystery.

  • What basis in fact do you have for these macabre speculations?

  • The two are emblematic of each other in a macabre sort of way.

    Blog text (8)
  • As my assistant can attest, it is a most macabre affair.

  • Of them all, the group's president, Penny Odin, had the most macabre story.

    Fiction book (1996)

Synonyms

horrible
vsmacabre
1.5

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

is disturbing mainly because it deals with death and injury
horrific
vsmacabre
179 5.5

Causing great fear or shock

is specifically disturbing because it concerns death and injury
horrifying
vsmacabre
95 4.5

Makes people feel very afraid and shocked

is disturbing due to death and injury focus rather than general shock
gruesome
vsmacabre
  • NSFW
90 6.2

Shocking and unpleasant because it shows death or serious injury

focuses on disturbing death and injury rather than only graphic detail
appalling
vsmacabre
87 5.6

Causing shock and strong disgust because it is very bad

is unsettling because it portrays death and injury rather than general badness
horrendous
vsmacabre
82 7.0

Very shocking and scary, causing fear or disgust

is disturbing specifically when death or injury are involved
grim
vsmacabre
57 4.5

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

is disturbing when dread comes from depicted death and injury
horrid
vsmacabre
52 4.1

A very unpleasant thing that shocks or disgusts you

is disturbing in situations that specifically depict death or injury
morbid
vsmacabre
49 7.3

Showing an unhealthy interest in death or other upsetting things

is disturbing because it depicts death and injury, not merely interest in them
ghastly
vsmacabre
49 6.8

Causing great fear and shock, often like death or ghosts

is rooted in death and injury rather than mainly supernatural tone
grisly
vsmacabre
  • NSFW
38 7.4

Something that makes you feel fear or disgust

centres on unsettling death and injury rather than general repulsion
gory
vsmacabre
  • NSFW
21 6.5

Showing a lot of blood and violence, often in films or news reports

is disturbing because it depicts death and injury beyond just blood
nightmarish
vsmacabre
17 7.0

Very frightening and unpleasant, like a bad dream

is disturbing through death and injury imagery rather than dreamlike terror
ghoulish
vsmacabre
15 8.2

Showing an unhealthy interest in death and dead bodies

is disturbing by depicting death and injury rather than showing morbid interest
atrocious
vsmacabre
12 7.6

Very cruel and shocking, causing great pain and fear

is upsetting because it depicts death and injury, not only cruelty
shuddersome
vsmacabre
9.9

Causing strong fear or disgust that makes you shiver

is disturbing specifically when that unease comes from death and injury

Antonyms

314 1.0

Giving a gentle feeling of enjoyment

111 1.0

Happy in a way you show with a smile or friendly actions

Compounds

danse macabre
  • Literature
9.9

A picture or story that shows Death leading people from every social level to the grave

How Disturbing

horrifying
95 4.5
grisly
  • NSFW
38 7.4
macabre
  • NSFW
14 8.7
disturbing
304 4.2
unsettling
64 4.2

Surface Forms

macabre positive
macabrer comparative
macabrest superlative

Etymology

Macabre comes from an old French phrase danse macabre, which literally means 'dance of death' and showed skeletons leading people to the grave. That's why macabre describes art or stories that are disturbing because they are about death.