macabre

[ muh-kah-bruh, -kahb, -kah-ber ]

adjective

1. gruesome and horrifying; ghastly; horrible.
2. of, pertaining to, dealing with, or representing death, especially its grimmer or uglier aspect.
3. of or suggestive of the allegorical dance of death.

macabre

/ -brə; məˈkɑːbə /

adjective

1. gruesome; ghastly; grim
2. resembling or associated with the danse macabre

Derived Forms

• maˈcabrely, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of macabre¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of macabre¹

C15: from Old French danse macabre dance of death, probably from macabé relating to the Maccabees, who were associated with death because of the doctrines and prayers for the dead in II Macc. (12:43–46)

Example Sentences

For the tiki lover or macabre appreciator in your life, skip the mass-market-produced ceramic parrot mugs and opt for something spooky and small-batch.

From Los Angeles Times

We may lack the macabre creativity of children who have virally redesigned these participation trophies in the recent past.

From Slate

It’s heavy, sure, but Griffin isn’t downplaying the macabre somberness of suicide, she’s emphasizing how silly and shortsighted our darkest impulses can be.

From Salon

The mood is macabre throughout, with spooky sounds and music and a cloudy palette so that there are few bright, normal moments to measure the surreal frights against.

From Los Angeles Times

Wednesday inherits her mother’s flair for the macabre, and the family’s power grows as each member embraces the oddities passed down to them.

From Salon

Related Words

• frightening
• ghastly
• ghoulish
• grim
• grisly
• gruesome
• lurid
• morbid
• spooky
• weird