grotesque
noun
gro·tesque
| \ grĆ-Ëtesk
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Definition of grotesque
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a style of decorative art characterized by fanciful or fantastic human and animal forms often interwoven with foliage or similar figures that may distort the natural into absurdity, ugliness, or caricature
b
: a piece of work in this style
an ornate structure, embellished with grotesques
2
: one that is grotesque
3
: sans serif
grotesque
adjectiveDefinition of grotesque (Entry 2 of 2)
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of the grotesque: such as
b
: absurdly incongruous
c
: departing markedly from the natural, the expected, or the typical
animals with grotesque deformities
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Synonyms & Antonyms for grotesque
Synonyms: Noun
grotesquerie (also grotesquery), monster, monstrosity, ogre
Synonyms: Adjective
grating, harsh, jarring, unaesthetic
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of grotesque in a Sentence
Noun
a gallery of grotesques from some sicko horror movieAdjective
The actors wore dark capes and grotesque masks. a grotesque distortion of the facts
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The grotesques are a delightful feature in a building thatâs bristling with them. — John Kelly, Washington Post, "Cloud Atlases: What are those weird sculptures atop this Kalorama building?," 23 June 2018 The sign, which went up in the 1960s, is as much a part of Tribune Towerâs identity as its Gothic grotesques and flying buttresses. — Blair Kamin, chicagotribune.com, "Tribune Tower plans would energize an old landmark, but don't yet create a new one," 18 Apr. 2018 But Griffithâs revolutionary and racist techniques treated blacks as either backdrops or grotesques, never entirely human. — Carlos Valladares, San Francisco Chronicle, "Argentine director Lucrecia Martel to attend Berkeley retrospective of her work," 16 Apr. 2018 After the Inferno, Neumann completed a series of grotesques in which humans do eternal battle with creatures while morphing into monsters themselves, all suspended in his signature non-space. — Dmitry Samarov, Chicago Reader, "Arts / History / Visual Art âOtto Neumann: Modern Degenerateâ shows an artist struggling through the hopelessness of 20th century Germany," 26 Jan. 2018 Startle passersby with the silhouettes of hungry zombies clawing at your windows or dancing ghosts, or spook those brave enough to enter your home with scenes of grotesques ghouls and spooky skeletons. — Courtney Campbell, Country Living, "This Halloween Projector Will Scare the Pants Off Your Neighbors," 5 Oct. 2017 The grotesques are a delightful feature in a building thatâs bristling with them. — John Kelly, Washington Post, "Cloud Atlases: What are those weird sculptures atop this Kalorama building?," 23 June 2018 The sign, which went up in the 1960s, is as much a part of Tribune Towerâs identity as its Gothic grotesques and flying buttresses. — Blair Kamin, chicagotribune.com, "Tribune Tower plans would energize an old landmark, but don't yet create a new one," 18 Apr. 2018 But Griffithâs revolutionary and racist techniques treated blacks as either backdrops or grotesques, never entirely human. — Carlos Valladares, San Francisco Chronicle, "Argentine director Lucrecia Martel to attend Berkeley retrospective of her work," 16 Apr. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
The rush to attribute responsibility for mass atrocities to oneâs political opponents is deeply grotesque. — Alexandra Desanctis, National Review, "What We Can, and Canât, Glean from the Dayton Shooterâs Online Behavior," 5 Aug. 2019 Replace the fictional lore of witches with grotesque features wearing black pointy hats, poisoning apples and cavorting with the devil. — Anna Bauman, Detroit Free Press, "Crystals, healing, acceptance: Inside the world of Michigan's witches," 2 Aug. 2019 More: Bernie Sanders: Walmart resistance to raising minimum wage is 'grotesque,' slams Walton family The new poll comes as Trump is looking to expand the electoral map during his 2020 re-election campaign. — Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, "Poll shows tight Trump-Biden matchup in Texas," 5 June 2019 Con artists in guru disguises Even as the counterculture began slouching toward narcissism, the dregs of the original hippie impulse had sprung out of Spahn Ranch in horrifically grotesque form. — Tom Carson, Los Angeles Times, "Woodstock glorified them. Tarantino barbecued them. In 2019, whither the hippie?," 15 Aug. 2019 Ian Merrill Peakes is hilariously grotesque as Bingleyâs clumsily condescending sister and as the Bennetsâ flailingly animated cousin Mr. Collins, and heâs nicely understated as roguish charmer Wickham. — Sam Hurwitt, The Mercury News, "Review: Shakespeareâs twins, Jane Austen romance delight in Santa Cruz," 31 July 2019 Trumpâs plans have caused consternation in the United States, with some people calling the sight of tanks on Washingtonâs streets grotesque. — Washington Post, "Trumpâs July 4 spectacle was inspired by France. To some outside the U.S., it looks more like China.," 3 July 2019 Fat lot of good that did him â Livingston suffered a grotesque knee injury midway through season. — Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, "Ex-Warrior Shaun Livingston wants to keep playing â with the Clippers," 26 July 2019 Part of what makes these paintings not grotesque and yet difficult to pin down is that the scenes are gently atmospheric. — Sanford Schwartz, The New York Review of Books, "Impossible Pictures," 18 Apr. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grotesque.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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