Origin: French
suffix -esque
Grotesque has 5 different meanings across 2 categories:
Noun
· Adjective
Noun
1
art characterized by an incongruous mixture of parts of humans and animals interwoven with plants
2
A style of ornamentation characterized by fanciful combinations of intertwined forms.
Adjective
1
distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous
"tales of grotesque serpents eight fathoms long that churned the seas"
"twisted into monstrous shapes"
2
ludicrously odd
"Hamlet's assumed antic disposition"
"fantastic Halloween costumes"
"a grotesque reflection in the mirror"
3
Distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous.
Example Sentences
"tales of grotesque serpents eight fathoms long that churned the seas"
adjective
"twisted into monstrous shapes"
adjective
"Hamlet's assumed antic disposition"
adjective
"fantastic Halloween costumes"
adjective
"a grotesque reflection in the mirror"
adjective
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)