adj
macabre
muh-KAH-bruh
adj
1
Disturbingly focused on death, or gruesome and horrifying to look at.
"The museum's macabre exhibit on medieval torture devices left some visitors queasy."
"He has a macabre sense of humor, always joking about funerals."
How to Use Macabre
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething gruesome, deathly, or morbidly horrifying.
Common mistake
It describes something grim or death-related, not just "scary" in a fun, spooky sense — a macabre story unsettles rather than thrills.
Common pairings
macabre humor
macabre scene
macabre details
Word Forms
more macabre comparative, most macabre superlative
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The museum's _____ exhibit on medieval torture devices left some visitors queasy.
Etymology
From French macabre, of uncertain origin — possibly linked to the phrase "danse macabre" ("dance of death"), which may trace back to the biblical Maccabees.