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View synonyms for

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
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ, adverb
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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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of macabre1

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

Examples have not been reviewed.

The subjects of grief and biotechnology in the macabre Canadian’s latest offering, “The Shrouds,” are also known to call up a host of conflicting feelings.

From

Far from it: Nadel, a museum curator and comics expert, expresses palpable admiration for Crumb, and sympathy for a peripatetic upbringing that could quietly be as macabre as anything he drew.

From

Ricky Gervais, one of the modern masters of roasting celebrities and riffing on the macabre, has a new show called “Mortality.”

From

Curtis’ revelation is gutwrenching not just because it’s innately macabre, but because it asks the viewer to imagine a world where they could face a similar predicament.

From

Before the macabre discovery in the sun-baked cane fields here, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum seldom alluded to the disappeared — though she regularly cites declining numbers of homicides, down from record highs a few years ago.

From

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macmacaco