Gruesome
/ˈɡruːsəm/
Definitions
Causing repulsion or horror; revolting; extremely unpleasant.
/ˈɡruːsəm/
Causing repulsion or horror; extremely unpleasant.
The details of the murder were gruesome and shocked everyone.
💡 Simply: Imagine you see something really, really bad in a movie, like a zombie eating someone's brain. That's gruesome! It means something is so horrible it makes you want to look away.
👶 For kids: When something is gruesome, it's super yucky and scary.
More Examples
The movie featured some gruesome special effects that made me close my eyes.
The battlefield was a gruesome sight, filled with injured soldiers.
How It's Used
"The detective described the gruesome details of the crime scene."
"The news report showed gruesome images of the accident."
Idioms & expressions
gruesome twosome
A sarcastic or ironic term for two people, often a couple, seen as unpleasant or objectionable.
"The neighbours always sneered at the couple, calling them the gruesome twosome."
From Middle English *grusome*, from *grue* (to shudder) + *-some* (suffix). Related to Old English *grīē-* (to shudder).
The word has been used since the 16th century, often in the context of describing violence or suffering.
Memory tip
Imagine a GROSS sum of money: it's so unpleasant it's gruesome.