adjective
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gruesome; ghastly; grim
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resembling or associated with the danse macabre
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of macabre
First recorded in 1400–50; from French; compare late Middle English Macabrees daunce, from Middle French danse (de) Macabré, of uncertain origin; perhaps to be identified with Medieval Latin chorēa Machabaeōrum a representation of the deaths of Judas Maccabaeus and his brothers, but evidence is lacking; the French pronunciation with mute e is a misreading of the Middle French forms
Explanation
The adjective macabre is used to describe things that involve the horror of death or violence. If a story involves lots of blood and gore, you can call it macabre. This word first appeared in English in the context of the "Dance of Death," recounted in literature as the figure of Death leading people in a dance to the grave, and translated from the Old French Danse Macabre. The Macabre part of the phrase is thought to be an alteration of Macabe, "a Maccabee," an allusion to the Maccabees, who were a Jewish people who led a revolt against the Seleucid Empire about 166 B.C.E. and were martyred in the process.
Vocabulary lists containing macabre
100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
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"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner
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The Bluest Eye
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I was in awe of the fact that in 40 years of reporting on the White House I never once, in my wildest and most macabre hallucinations, dreamed up anything like that event.
From Salon • Jun. 19, 2026
Set in a fictional black neighborhood in Ohio, “Sula” injects macabre horror and supernatural elements into its portrayal of an ecstatically intimate female friendship.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
“It’s become this macabre joke in the business: What is the most important part of an airplane? All of them!”
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
The lack of information in the macabre death has fuelled intrigue and ignited an online following, with many hypothesising about the girl's connection to the Romantic Homicide singer.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
Madeline: Yes Olly: lord of the flies, macabre, black, stealing silverware, my sister Madeline: Ugh.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
