grotesque
1 of 2noun
grotesque
2 of 2adjective
Did you know?
During the Italian Renaissance, Romans of culture took a great interest in their country's past and began excavating ancient buildings. During their excavations, they uncovered chambers (known in Italian as grotte, in reference to their cavelike appearance) decorated with artwork depicting fantastic combinations of human and animal forms interwoven with strange fruits and flowers. The Italian word grottesca became the name for this unique art style, and by 1561 it had mutated into the English noun "grotesque." The adjective form of "grotesque" was first used in the early 17th century to describe the decorative art but is now used to describe anything bizarre, incongruous, or unusual.
Synonyms
Noun
- grotesquerie
- grotesquery
- monster
- monstrosity
- ogre
Adjective
- grating
- harsh
- jarring
- unaesthetic
Example Sentences
Matthias Clamer, SPIN, 7 Aug. 2022 Unironic emotion is weak at best, grotesque at worst, and always to be hidden. Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 8 July 2022 Fittingly, for someone now famous as a writer of the grotesque, Sorokin was introduced to the group by his dentist. Jennifer Wilson, Harper’s Magazine , 25 May 2022 First, there’s their dependence on accessibility and the embrace of forms of entertainment, even grotesque and burlesque entertainment. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022 The antics range from childlike—the boys don panda suits for a romp through Tokyo—to grotesque and life-threatening. Travis Bean, Forbes, 30 Apr. 2022 And around this grotesque and horrible mask of death, the hair, the beautiful hair, still blazed like sunlight and flowed in a stream of gold. Namwali Serpell, The New York Review of Books, 6 July 2022 Yet Wyndham always takes care to dampen the grotesque and freakish elements of his stories. Sam Sacks, WSJ, 22 Apr. 2022 This grotesque and coordinated character assassination will dissuade competent and good people of all political persuasions from serving our country. Joan Biskupic, CNN, 20 Mar. 2022 Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 17 Aug. 2022 Much of this speaks to the skill and commitment of Strickland’s collaborators, especially production designer Fletcher Jarvis and costume designers Saffron Cullane and Emily Newby, who are all on the director’s beautifully grotesque wavelength. Justin Changfilm Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2022 In ordinary times, Sunday’s hearing in the Tel Aviv Magistrates’ Court might have been dismissed as a sometimes grotesque sign of the depths to which Israeli political discourse can sink. New York Times, 13 June 2022 The film’s core gimmick, that the characters treat its horrific imagery as another day at the office, also neuters the emotional impact of its most grotesque images. Scott Mendelson, Forbes, 2 June 2022 The innocuous background makes a grotesque juxtaposition to discussions of her emotionally, mentally and physically abusive mother, her own past struggles with eating disorders and alcohol, and a career she was forced into as a child. Ashley Spencer, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022 What were Uvalde or Highland Park but instances of the (very sick) private mind enacting grotesque public performances. Lance Morrow, WSJ, 27 July 2022 Miles Mykkanen was uproarious, but not grotesque, as the opera’s two old women; Julie Roset was an alert Amore; and there was subtle supporting work from Laurence Kilsby, Yannis François and Riccardo Romeo. New York Times, 12 July 2022 The prospect of his style being too widely (and inevitably poorly) imitated is grotesque. Jessica Ferri, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2022 See More Word History
Noun and Adjective
Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French, from Old Italian (pittura) grottesca, literally, cave painting, feminine of grottesco of a cave, from grotta — see grotto
Noun
1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1603, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
grotesque
adjective
grotesque 1 of 2
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- ugly
- loud
- unaesthetic
- harsh
- jarring
- disgusting
- unpleasant
- tawdry
- grating
- bizarre
- gaudy
- garish
- repulsive
- inartistic
- obscene
- repugnant
- unpleasing
- tacky
- vulgar
- artless
- tasteless
- acid
- unartistic
- inelegant
- odd
- uncouth
- flashy
- gross
- crude
- outlandish
- dissonant
- shocking
- disagreeable
- clumsy
- raucous
- uncultured
- unmelodious
- jolting
- disharmonious
- unmusical
- graceless
- inharmonious
- kinky
- unrefined
- rude
- clashing
- ragged
- raspy
- blaring
- discordant
- off-key
- jangling
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- aesthetic
- artistic
- artful
- beautiful
- esthetic
- attractive
- appealing
- good
- harmonious
- agreeable
- aesthetical
- becoming
- felicitous
- comely
- esthetical
- pleasing
- elegant
- comforting
- graceful
- soothing
- tasteful
- subdued
- seemly
- calming
- gracious
- softened
- refined
- polished
- cultured
- harmonizing
Synonyms & Similar Words
- ugly
- hideous
- disgusting
- unpleasing
- monstrous
- awful
- vile
- unattractive
- unappealing
- horrible
- unbeautiful
- unsightly
- repulsive
- unlovely
- unhandsome
- sickening
- revolting
- loathsome
- appalling
- uncomely
- abominable
- homely
- repugnant
- abhorrent
- unpretty
- nauseating
- horrid
- ill-favored
- distasteful
- dreadful
- gross
- repellent
- unaesthetic
- unshapely
- noisome
- nauseous
- unbecoming
- repellant
- frumpish
- plain
- frumpy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- beautiful
- attractive
- aesthetic
- stunning
- ravishing
- gorgeous
- lovely
- handsome
- cute
- pretty
- beauteous
- fair
- esthetic
- seemly
- aesthetical
- goodly
- comely
- esthetical
- knockout
- sightly
- shapely
- fetching
- impressive
- taking
- bonny
- imposing
- drop-dead
- good-looking
- well-favored
- bonnie
- prepossessing
grotesque
2 of 2noun
Synonyms & Similar Words
- monster
- grotesquerie
- grotesquery
- demon
- ogre
- monstrosity
- terror
- ogress
- horror
- fright
- abomination
- devil
- incubus
- bête noire
- abnormality
- imp
- bogeyman
- bugbear
- banshee
- bugaboo
- mutant
- bogey
- Frankenstein
- mutation
- bogy
- anathema
- bogyman
- freak
- bogie
- fiend
- daemon
Synonym Chooser
The words bizarre and fantastic are common synonyms of grotesque. While all three words mean "conceived, made, or carried out without adherence to truth or reality," grotesque may apply to what is conventionally ugly but artistically effective or it may connote ludicrous awkwardness or incongruity often with sinister or tragic overtones.
In some situations, the words bizarre and grotesque are roughly equivalent. However, bizarre applies to the sensationally strange and implies violence of contrast or incongruity of combination.
The words fantastic and grotesque are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fantastic may connote extravagance in conception or ingenuity of decorative invention.