Synonyms for gruesome
- adjective
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
Definitions
- adj. 1
Repellently frightful and shocking; ghastly, horrific.
- adj. 2
Awful, terrible.
The team was so unprepared that the way it played was just gruesome.
Related words
- Word family
- gruesomeness
Example sentences
- horrific Uncover the horrific truth of this shocking story.
- horrifying Santiago told Rima about his horrifying discovery.
- ghastly The idea of some ghastly presence constantly haunted him.
- grisly He shuddered with horror at the grisly sight.
- hideous Some things get more hideous, when you clean them.
- horrendous Algeria is recovering from a horrendous experience.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| gruesome | rising | |
| horrific | rising | |
| horrifying | rising | |
| ghastly | rising | |
| grisly | rising | |
| hideous | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- sick1, foul1, grim1, dire1
- 5 letters
- awful2, lousy2
- 6 letters
- filthy2, rotten2, morbid2, horrid2, odious3, grisly2
- 7 letters
- fearful2, hideous3, ghastly2, ghostly2, macabre3, abysmal3
- 8 letters
- terrible3, horrible3, shocking2, horrific3, dreadful2, alarming3
- 9 letters
- appalling3, repulsive3, atrocious3, frightful2, loathsome2
- 10 letters
- terrifying4, formidable4, horrifying4, horrendous3, abominable5
- 11 letters
- frightening3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (awful2 = 2 syllables).