Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

grotesque

/ɡɹəʊˈtɛsk/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about grotesque at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Art characterized by an incongruous mixture of parts of humans and animals interwoven with plants.

adjective

Distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous.
tales of grotesque serpents eight fathoms long that churned the seas
Ludicrously odd.
Hamlet's assumed antic disposition

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French grotesque, from Italian grottesco, from grotta (“cave”) + -esco (relational suffix). By surface analysis, grotto + -esque. Compare French grotesque, English grotto.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word