grotesque Meaning & Definition
What Does Grotesque Mean?
As an adjective, grotesque means of, relating to, or having the characteristics of the grotesque. It can also mean fanciful, bizarre. As a noun, it means 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.
Quick Facts About Grotesque
| Part of speech | adjective, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /grō-ˈtesk/ |
| Syllables | 2 |
| Synonyms | strange, unusual and antic |
| Antonyms | aesthetic, artful and artistic |
| Plural | grotesques |
| Comparative / superlative | grotesquer, grotesquest |
| Adverb | grotesquely |
Grotesque Definition (Adjective)
- of, relating to, or having the characteristics of the grotesque: such as
- fanciful, bizarre
a grotesque Halloween costume
- departing markedly from the natural, the expected, or the typical
animals with grotesque deformities
- extremely and absurdly different from what is expected or usual
a grotesque distortion of the facts
Grotesque as a Noun
- 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
- a piece of work in this style
an ornate structure, embellished with grotesques
- one that is grotesque
- sans serif
Synonyms of Grotesque
Antonyms of Grotesque
Grotesque in a Sentence
a grotesque Halloween costume
animals with grotesque deformities
a grotesque distortion of the facts
an ornate structure, embellished with grotesques
the gaudy, overdecorated interior of the gambling casino was just too grotesque for my taste
that bloody Halloween mask is grotesque
a gallery of grotesques from some horror movie
Word Forms & Grammar
gro·tesque·ly adverb
gro·tesque·ness noun
grotesque
grotesquely
grotesqueness
grotesquenesses
grotesquer
grotesquest
grotesques
grotesque (comparative grotesquer or more grotesque, superlative grotesquest or most grotesque)
grotesque (countable and uncountable, plural grotesques)
grotesque (third-person singular simple present grotesques, present participle grotesquing or grotesqueing, simple past and past participle grotesqued)
Words That Rhyme With Grotesque
Origin of Grotesque
Origin 1: see grotesque:2
Origin 2: Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French, from Old Italian (pittura) grottesca, literally, cave painting, feminine of grottesco of a cave, from grotta see grotto
Origin 3: Borrowed from Middle French grotesque, from Italian grottesco, from grotta (“cave”) + -esco (relational suffix). By surface analysis, grotto + -esque. Compare French grotesque, English grotto.
First Known Use
1603
1561
Pronouncing Grotesque
The standard pronunciation of grotesque is /grō-ˈtesk/, spoken in 2 syllables, with the main stress on the second syllable (tesk).
Common Questions About Grotesque
Is grotesque an adjective or a noun?
Grotesque is mainly used as an adjective, but it can also be used as a noun.
What is another word for grotesque?
You can replace grotesque with words such as strange, unusual and antic. See the full list of grotesque synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of grotesque?
The opposite of grotesque can be expressed with words like aesthetic, artful, artistic and attractive.
What is the plural of grotesque?
The plural of grotesque is grotesques.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of grotesque?
The comparative form is grotesquer and the superlative form is grotesquest.