GRISLY Synonyms: 81 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'grisly' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of grisly are ghastly , gruesome , lurid , and macabre . While all these words mean "horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect," grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty. // an unusually grisly murder // suffered a gruesome death

Q: When is 'ghastly' a more appropriate choice than 'grisly'?

Although the words ghastly and grisly have much in common, ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts. // a ghastly accident

Q: How do 'lurid' and 'gruesome' relate to one another, in the sense of 'grisly'?

Lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder. // the lurid details of a crime

Q: When might 'macabre' be a better fit than 'grisly'?

While the synonyms macabre and grisly are close in meaning, macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death. // a macabre tale of premature burial

grisly

adjective

ˈgriz-lē

Definition of grisly next

as in gruesome

extremely disturbing or repellent the police report described the murder scene in grisly detail

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How is the word grisly different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of grisly are ghastly, gruesome, lurid, and macabre. While all these words mean "horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect," grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.

an unusually grisly murder

suffered a gruesome death

When is ghastly a more appropriate choice than grisly?

Although the words ghastly and grisly have much in common, ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

How do lurid and gruesome relate to one another, in the sense of grisly?

Lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder.

the lurid details of a crime

When might macabre be a better fit than grisly?

While the synonyms macabre and grisly are close in meaning, macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of grisly The video spawned a flurry of imitators, homages and parodies, some of which offer an alternate ending to the story, seeing the duck or man suffer a grisly death at the hands of the other. —

Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024 Buy Now 06 of 15 ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ by John Berendt This nonfiction book recounts the grisly 1981 murder of Danny Hansford, in one of Savannah’s grandest mansions. —

Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 13 Oct. 2024 Hurricane Milton was as vicious a storm as forecasters predicted, flooding streets and homes across the Gulf Coast and beyond and leaving behind a grisly aftermath and the likelihood of a long recovery. —

Jeff Weiner, Axios, 10 Oct. 2024 Hampton, a longtime volunteer at the local fire department, has lent his skills — and rafts and employees — to the grisly effort of recovering victims from the floods. —

Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grisly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for grisly

Adjective

But the indictment returned by a Georgia grand jury in May detailed a gruesome confrontation in which Ibarra allegedly asphyxiated the student, hit her over the head with a rock to the point of disfiguring her skull, and pulled up her clothing, intending to rape her.

Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2024
The film, set for theatrical release in the second or third quarter of 2025, centers on 13-year-old Achraf, who is forced into a gruesome and unimaginable act after his cousin Nizar is murdered by a group of men.

Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Oct. 2024