macabre

adjective

ma·​ca·​bre mə-ˈkäb How to pronounce macabre (audio) -ˈkä-brə How to pronounce macabre (audio)
-bər,
-ˈkäbrᵊ
1
: having death as a subject : comprising or including a personalized representation of death
The macabre dance included a procession of skeletons.
2
: dwelling on the gruesome
a macabre presentation of a tragic story
3
: tending to produce horror in a beholder
this macabre procession of starving peasants

Did you know?

We trace the origins of macabre to the name of the Book of Maccabees, which is included in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox canons of the Old Testament and in the Protestant Apocrypha. Sections of this biblical text address both the deaths of faithful people asked to renounce their religion, and the manner in which the dead should be properly commemorated. In medieval France, representations of these passages were performed as a procession or dance which became known as the "dance of death" or "dance Maccabee"; the latter was spelled in several different ways, including danse de Macabré. In English, macabre was originally used in reference to this "dance of death" but then gradually broadened in use to describe anything grim or horrific. Today macabre functions as a synonym of gruesome or repulsive, always with a connection to the physical aspects of death and suffering.

Choose the Right Synonym for macabre

ghastly, grisly, gruesome, macabre, lurid mean horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect.

ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.

an unusually grisly murder
suffered a gruesome death

macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial

lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder.

the lurid details of a crime

Examples of macabre in a Sentence

a macabre story of murder and madness Police discovered a macabre scene inside the house.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Untamed lingers on the body’s bluish decay and gouged limbs, a macabre counter to the suggestion that being outside will rejuvenate your spirit and your body. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 July 2025 Hector Corona Villanueva, 23, of Victorville was arrested in connection to the macabre prank on charges of reporting an emergency knowing it to be false and intentionally and wrongfully planting evidence to falsely present as real, the San Bernadino Sheriff's Department reported. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 16 July 2025 One particularly macabre tale about a date rape and a quarterback who got his arm severed landed Williamson in the counselor’s office. Ashley Spencer, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025 The film spins its wheels toward the end, even while landing on a hilariously macabre final image that feels ripped out of the most nihilistic of French arthouse classics. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for macabre

Word History

Etymology

French, from (danse) macabre dance of death, from Middle French (danse de) Macabré

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of macabre was in 1841

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Cite this Entry

“Macabre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/macabre. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

macabre

adjective
ma·​ca·​bre mə-ˈkäb(-rə) How to pronounce macabre (audio) -ˈkäb-ər How to pronounce macabre (audio)
-ˈkäbrᵊ
1
: having death as a subject
2
: marked by or arousing horror

More from Merriam-Webster on macabre

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