morbid

American  

[mawr-bid] / ˈmɔr bɪd /

adjective

1. suggesting an unhealthy mental state or attitude; unwholesomely gloomy, sensitive, extreme, etc..

   a morbid interest in death.

   Antonyms:

   cheerful

2. affected by, caused by, causing, or characteristic of disease.

   Synonyms:

   sickly, sick, unhealthy, unhealthy, diseased, unwholesome

   Antonyms:

   healthy

3. pertaining to diseased parts.

   morbid anatomy.

4. gruesome; grisly.

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morbid British  

/ ˈmɔːbɪd /

adjective

1. having an unusual interest in death or unpleasant events

2. gruesome

3. relating to or characterized by disease; pathologic

   a morbid growth

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Other Word Forms

• morbidly adverb
• morbidness noun
• premorbid adjective
• premorbidly adverb
• premorbidness noun
• unmorbid adjective
• unmorbidly adverb
• unmorbidness noun

Etymology

Origin of morbid

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin morbidus “sickly,” from morb(us) “disease, sickness” + -idus -id ⁴

Example Sentences

To make his point, Panahi recalls a morbid memory from when he was around 10 years old.

From Los Angeles Times

Forgive my morbid tone, but leave enough for funeral expenses and to settle your estate.

From MarketWatch

“Let’s stop all this morbid talk,” the woman implored her aunt, but later she realized how helpful that method would be.

From MarketWatch

“I guess I felt like the mortuary school thing was morbid,” he says from the Chicago home they’ve shared since 2020.

From Los Angeles Times

“I have a job to do. Make money for my clients. Period. But boy it gets morbid when you start making investments that work out extra great if a tragedy occurs.”

From Literature

Related Words

• ghastly
• ghoulish
• grim
• gruesome
• macabre
• melancholy
• pessimistic
• unnatural