grotesque

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɡroʊˈtɛsk/ UK /ɡrəʊˈtɛsk/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
comically or repulsively distorted or unnatural

The gargoyles wore grotesque expressions carved into the stone.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · comically or repulsively... bizarre outlandish monstrousdeformeddistorted fantastic freakish

Opposites

normal natural ordinary graceful

Word family

Forms grotesquelygrotesqueness

Derived forms grotesquelygrotesquenessgrotesquerie

Related forms grotto

Simplified etymology

Grotesque entered English in the 16th century from Italian grottesca, used for art resembling paintings found in a grotto. It originally named a decorative style discovered in ancient Roman ruins, in which human and animal forms intertwined with plants, before developing its modern senses of comic or repulsive distortion.

Etymology

From French grotesque, from Italian grottesca ('grotto-like'), from grotta ('grotto, cave'); originally describing the fanciful murals found in excavated Roman grottoes. Ultimately from Latin crypta, from Ancient Greek krypte ('vault').

grottesca Italian kryptē Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# grotesque

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɡroʊˈtɛsk/
**IPA (UK):** /ɡrəʊˈtɛsk/

## Meanings
1. comically or repulsively distorted or unnatural

## Examples
- The gargoyles wore grotesque expressions carved into the stone.

## Synonyms
- bizarre
- outlandish
- monstrous
- deformed
- distorted
- fantastic
- freakish

## Antonyms
- normal
- natural
- ordinary
- graceful

## Derived Forms
- grotesquely
- grotesqueness
- grotesquerie

## Related Forms
- grotto

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: grottesca
- Root: kryptē
- Affix: -esque - in the style of

## Etymology
From French grotesque, from Italian grottesca ('grotto-like'), from grotta ('grotto, cave'); originally describing the fanciful murals found in excavated Roman grottoes. Ultimately from Latin crypta, from Ancient Greek krypte ('vault').

## AI Etymology
Grotesque is from French grotesque, from Italian grottesca ('grotto-like'), from grotta ('grotto, cave'); originally describing the fanciful murals found in excavated Roman grottoes. Ultimately from Latin crypta, from Ancient Greek krypte ('vault'). Important recorded forms include grottesca (Italian) and kryptē (Ancient Greek). The current sense covers comically or repulsively distorted or unnatural. The wider family includes derived forms such as grotesquely, grotesqueness, and grotesquerie and related words such as grotto.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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