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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ugly
unpleasant to look at
that bloody Halloween mask is grotesque
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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
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 22 Jan. 2025
There’s also the grotesque case of Dominique Pelicot, the Frenchman who has been convicted of drugging his wife, Gisele, and allowing dozens of men to rape her in their home.
—Robin Abcarian, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
Kate McGregor, House Beautiful, 14 July 2023
An element of the grotesque inflects Stettheimer’s version of the American rococo, and one wonders whether this is part of its Americanness, connecting her to John Currin as much as to the nineteenth-century circus poster.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for grotesque
Adjective
Megan Suri breathes fresh life into the conniving gold-digger trope, while Friend enjoys chewing the scenery as the grotesque Sergey.
—Noun
Washington National Cathedral, a famous example of Neo-Gothic architecture, is known for its collection of more than a hundred gargoyles and grotesques, including funny ones.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for grotesque
Adjective
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The project involves using implosives to connect wires on that segment, hence the loud booms heard by those who live nearby.—
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At night, everyone heads for Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí (there’s a cost to attend), the massive stadium that is the kickoff point for the boisterous and loud samba parades that take place throughout the night.—
Adjective
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Since winning at Boise State on Jan. 4 and blowing out Air Force at home four days later, the season had become a grind – a double-digit loss at New Mexico, a rare home loss against UNLV, a string of ugly wins against the Mountain West’s bottom-feeders after overcoming dangerously large deficits.—
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With 23 seconds left and USC up one on Minnesota in an ugly, ugly basketball game, Golden Gophers head coach Ben Johnson clamored to the officials for a timeout.—
Noun
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Distorted and exaggerated by Weegee’s hand—with grins set in a chilling rictus, or eyes and noses spread wide and pancaked—these idols became monsters.—
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Monster Train 2 looks to be building on the foundations of its predecessor, so players will once again board a train and defend it against incoming monster hordes on several vertical levels at the same time.—
Adjective
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The protest was not politically motivated, but demonstrations in the country can sometimes lead to political unrest under the harsh regime.—
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The delays follow the National Weather Service (NWS) issuing a warning over harsh weather for residents of Huntersville and Gastonia in North Carolina, which is also affecting the Charlotte Douglas Airport.—
Adjective
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The result was good for the Jayhawks, as the Cyclones shot a hideous 1-for-12 (11%) from long range.—
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Rust is a big deal, as is the fact that many Panteras have been mangled by previous owners bestowing hideous enhancements (think bad celebrity plastic surgery) on otherwise desirable cars.—
Noun
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Dreamy forests and bright angels curdle and mutate into digital grotesquerie, a Spam Folder of faceless creatures and shock shlock.—
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And his finest work, the 1990 television soap opera Twin Peaks, could also be considered a sensitive, comedic Rorschach test, given its all-American grotesqueries — the definition of his artistic expression.—
Adjective
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Just as jarring, in my view, has been Trump’s embrace of Putin-like tactics at home, a hallmark of his return to power which has unfolded with a speed and ferocity far different than what Trump was able to pull off in his first term.—
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Turning the zoom dial too quickly creates a jarring effect, but a slower, steadier touch results in smooth footage.—
Adjective
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Smears on non-sensor areas of the tiara are like bug debris on your hood, aesthetically unpleasing but not harmful.—
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His side's inability to finish off the game against Burnley on the other hand was very unpleasing.—
Cite this Entry
“Grotesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grotesque. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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