gruesome

Or grew·some

[groo-suhm]

adjective

1. causing great horror; horribly repugnant; grisly.

   the site of a gruesome murder.

2. full of or causing problems; distressing.

   a gruesome day at the office.

gruesome

/ ˈɡruːsəm /

adjective

1. inspiring repugnance and horror; ghastly

Other Word Forms

• gruesomely adverb
• gruesomeness noun
• ungruesome adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gruesome¹

1560–70; obsolete grue to shudder (cognate with German grauen, Dutch gruwen ) + -some ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of gruesome¹

C16: originally Northern English and Scottish; see _grue , _-some ¹

Example Sentences

The film is partially based in reality; the Hayes character is inspired by Martin Donnelly, whose promising career was cut short in 1990 by a gruesome crash.

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The clowns on Autumn’s socks are wearing gruesome smiles and wielding wickedly sharp knives, as if threatening me to be emotionally vulnerable.

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“But perhaps that’s a bad idea. The old chap came to a gooey, gruesome end, after all. What do you think, Quinzy? Is it bad luck to name the child Edward?”

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“I wonder if cannibals keep trophies of their prey, the way I do of mine? That’d be a gruesome end, what?”

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Scaling a slippery, snow-capped mountain without the proper equipment can lead to a gruesome end, no matter how thrilling the scenery.

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Related Words

• appalling 
• frightful 
• ghastly 
• grim 
• grisly 
• hideous 
• horrendous 
• horrid 
• horrific 
• horrifying 
• lurid 
• macabre 
• morbid 
• shocking 
• terrible 
• terrifying 
• ugly 
• weird