macabre

adjective ma·ca·bre \mə-ˈkäb; -ˈkä-brə, -bər; -ˈkäbr^ə\

: involving death or violence in a way that is strange, frightening, or unpleasant

Full Definition of MACABRE

: having death as a subject : comprising or including a personalized representation of death

: dwelling on the gruesome

: tending to produce horror in a beholder

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Origin of MACABRE

French, from (danse) macabre dance of death, from Middle French (danse de) Macabré

First Known Use: 1889

Related to MACABRE

Synonyms: appalling, atrocious, awful, dreadful, frightful, ghastly, grisly, gruesome (also grewsome), hideous, horrendous, horrid, horrific, horrifying, lurid, horrible, monstrous, nightmare, nightmarish, shocking, terrible, terrific

Synonym Discussion of MACABRE

ghastly, grisly, gruesome, macabre, lurid mean horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect. ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts <a ghastly accident>. grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty <an unusually grisly murder> <suffered a gruesome death>. macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death <a macabre tale of premature burial>. lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder <the lurid details of a crime>.

Rhymes with MACABRE

bedaub, corncob, day job, demob, doorknob, heartthrob, hobnob, McJob, memsahib, nabob, nawab, plumb bob, Punjab, snow job, stop knob, Welsh cob

Learn More About MACABRE

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "macabre"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "macabre"

Nglish: Translation of "macabre" for Spanish speakers

Britannica English: Translation of "macabre" for Arabic speakers

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