grotesque
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
strangely or fantastically distorted; bizarre
a grotesque reflection in the mirror
-
of or characteristic of the grotesque in art
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absurdly incongruous; in a ludicrous context
a grotesque turn of phrase
noun
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a 16th-century decorative style in which parts of human, animal, and plant forms are distorted and mixed
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a decorative device, as in painting or sculpture, in this style
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printing the family of 19th-century sans serif display types
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any grotesque person or thing
Related Words
See bizarre.
Other Word Forms
- grotesquely adverb
- grotesqueness noun
- ungrotesque adjective
Etymology
Origin of grotesque
First recorded in 1555–65; from French, from Italian grottesca (from pittura grottesca, opera grottesca “grotesque painting, decoration” such as was apparently found in excavated buildings), the feminine of grottesco “grotesque, uncouth,” derivative of grotta “cave.” See grotto, -esque
Compare meaning
How does grotesque compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Unscrupulous actors sometimes exploit the lack of legal regulations to do grotesque things.
The author gives us plenty of grotesque detail.
The trivial amounts involved in providing these lifesaving interventions may come as a shock to many — especially after all the grotesque misreporting and misrepresentations on the subject.
From MarketWatch
The Joseph P. Kennedy isn’t even close to the biggest offender of this grotesque phenomenon.
From Salon
Government officials condemned what they described as a “grotesque threat.”
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
