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

As a reader might gather, “Neighbors” falls into the category of what is unkindly categorized as freak-show documentary—the characters are objects of morbid curiosity or, maybe, pathos.

From The Wall Street Journal

Generally speaking, it’s more angular, more acid, more morbid, more willing to let a protagonist stew in misery, more suspicious of sentiment than our comparatively genial homegrown brand.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s morbid—carrying your death in your ears.”

From Literature

Despite its serious subject matter, the novel is neither morbid nor morose.

From Los Angeles Times

A morbid funeral procession culminated in three contestants lying in coffins, waiting to hear who would be "buried".

From BBC

Related Words

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