grotesque
Other forms: grotesques
Use grotesque to describe things that are very strange and ugly in an unnatural way. If something "grosses you out," you can safely refer to it as grotesque.
Grotesque also refers to a style of art that uses odd and fanciful combinations of natural, human, and animal forms. The original reference was to cave paintings found in ancient Roman ruins. Our English word is from French, from Italian grottesca pittura, "a cave painting," from grotta, "cave." Italian grotta is the source of our English word grotto.
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distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous
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ludicrously odd“a grotesque reflection in the mirror”
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synonyms:
antic, fantastic, fantastical
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art characterized by an incongruous mixture of parts of humans and animals interwoven with plants
/groʊˈtɛsk/
/grəʊˈtɛsk/
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Vocabulary lists containing grotesque
After a shipwreck, Rainsford thinks he's safe when he washes ashore a mysterious island — but once he meets the eccentric General Zaroff, he realizes his problems have just begun. Read the full text here.
The narrator of this twisted tale embarks on a grisly quest for revenge. Read the full text here. Click here to explore other works by Edgar Allan Poe.
Liesel Meminger is a foster child living in Nazi Germany in 1939. Surrounded by violence, hardship, and war, Liesel is watched over by Death, who narrates her story.