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grotesque
[ groh-tesk ]
/ groÊËtÉsk /
See the most commonly confused word associated with gargoyle
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective
odd or unnatural in shape, appearance, or character; fantastically ugly or absurd; bizarre.
fantastic in the shaping and combination of forms, as in decorative work combining incongruous human and animal figures with scrolls, foliage, etc.
noun
any grotesque object, design, person, or thing.
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Origin of grotesque
First recorded in 1555â65; from French, from Italian grottesca (from pittura grottesca, opera grottesca âgrotesque painting, decorationâ such as was apparently found in excavated buildings), the feminine of grottesco âgrotesque, uncouth,â derivative of grotta âcave.â See grotto, -esque
synonym study for grotesque
1. See bizarre.
OTHER WORDS FROM grotesque
gro·tesque·ly, adverbgro·tesque·ness, nounun·gro·tesque, adjectiveWords nearby grotesque
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use grotesque in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for grotesque
grotesque
/ (ÉĄrÉÊËtÉsk) /
adjective
strangely or fantastically distorted; bizarrea grotesque reflection in the mirror
of or characteristic of the grotesque in art
absurdly incongruous; in a ludicrous contexta grotesque turn of phrase
noun
Derived forms of grotesque
grotesquely, adverbgrotesqueness, nounWord Origin for grotesque
C16: from French, from Old Italian (pittura) grottesca cave painting, from grottesco of a cave, from grotta cave; see grotto
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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