grotesque

[ groh-tesk ]
/ groʊˈtɛsk /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR grotesque ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

odd or unnatural in shape, appearance, or character; fantastically ugly or absurd; bizarre.
fantastic in the shaping and combination of forms, as in decorative work combining incongruous human and animal figures with scrolls, foliage, etc.

noun

any grotesque object, design, person, or thing.

Origin of grotesque

1555–65; < French < Italian grottesco (as noun, grottesca grotesque decoration such as was apparently found in excavated dwellings), derivative of grotta. See grotto, -esque

OTHER WORDS FROM grotesque

gro·tesque·ly, adverb gro·tesque·ness, noun un·gro·tesque, adjective

Words nearby grotesque

grosvenor, grosz, grot, grote, grotesk, grotesque, grotesquery, grotius, groton, grotto, grotty

Words related to grotesque

whimsical, fantastic, monstrous, ridiculous, eerie, ludicrous, strange, preposterous, outlandish, fanciful, absurd, bizarre, odd, surrealistic, gross, flamboyant, antic, queer, weird, aberrant

Example sentences from the Web for grotesque

British Dictionary definitions for grotesque

grotesque
/ (ɡrəʊˈtɛsk) /

adjective

strangely or fantastically distorted; bizarre a grotesque reflection in the mirror
of or characteristic of the grotesque in art
absurdly incongruous; in a ludicrous context a grotesque turn of phrase

noun

Derived forms of grotesque

grotesquely, adverb grotesqueness, noun

Word Origin for grotesque

C16: from French, from Old Italian ( pittura) grottesca cave painting, from grottesco of a cave, from grotta cave; see grotto