1
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of disease
morbid anatomy
b
: affected with or induced by disease
a morbid condition
c
: productive of disease
morbid substances
2
: abnormally susceptible to or characterized by gloomy or unwholesome feelings
morbidly
adverb
morbidness
noun
Synonyms
- black
- bleak
- cheerless
- chill
- Cimmerian
- cloudy
- cold
- comfortless
- dark
- darkening
- depressing
- depressive
- desolate
- dire
- disconsolate
- dismal
- drear
- dreary
- dreich [chiefly Scottish]
- elegiac
- elegiacal
- forlorn
- funereal
- gloomy
- glum
- godforsaken
- gray
- grey
- lonely
- lonesome
- lugubrious
- miserable
- morose
- murky
- plutonian
- saturnine
- sepulchral
- solemn
- somber
- sombre
- sullen
- sunless
- tenebrific
- tenebrous
- wretched
Examples of morbid in a Sentence
Some of the material has been disclosed before, but it is wonderful to have the quotations from President Nixon and his aides gathered here in all their morbid splendor.
—
Anthony Lewis, New York Review of Books, 7 Apr. 2005
Danger can be sexy, but morbid proselytizing is a real buzzkill.
—Emily Gordon, Nation, 5 May 1997
She suffered from a morbid streak which in all the life of the family reached out on occasions—the worst occasions—and touched us, clung around us, making it worse for her; her unbearable moments could find nowhere to go.
—Eudora Welty, One Writer's Beginnings, 1983
She has a morbid interest in funerals.
He has a morbid sense of humor.
a morbid fascination with death
wanting to learn about a celebrity's downfall out of morbid curiosity
suffering from a morbid condition
The child has a morbid fear of snakes.
Anthony Lewis, New York Review of Books, 7 Apr. 2005
Danger can be sexy, but morbid proselytizing is a real buzzkill.
—Emily Gordon, Nation, 5 May 1997
She suffered from a morbid streak which in all the life of the family reached out on occasions—the worst occasions—and touched us, clung around us, making it worse for her; her unbearable moments could find nowhere to go.
—Eudora Welty, One Writer's Beginnings, 1983
She has a morbid interest in funerals.
He has a morbid sense of humor.
a morbid fascination with death
wanting to learn about a celebrity's downfall out of morbid curiosity
suffering from a morbid condition
The child has a morbid fear of snakes.
Recent Examples on the Web
As that night unfolded with a kind of morbid curiosity — was this really happening?
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 6 Nov. 2024
Ask Insensitive Questions This is one time to keep your morbid curiosity to yourself.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2024
The Real Fungal Threats These diverse morbid partnerships – relationships that lead to death – were formed and refined over millions of years of evolutionary time.
—Matt Kasson, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2024
Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong Film festivals: Cannes Release date: TBA
Awards potential: Prior to its Cannes debut, there was a ton of morbid fascination with what director Abbasi (Holy Spider) would do with the story of Donald Trump’s rise to power under the wing of villain-of-history Roy Cohn.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for morbid 
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Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 6 Nov. 2024
Ask Insensitive Questions This is one time to keep your morbid curiosity to yourself.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2024
The Real Fungal Threats These diverse morbid partnerships – relationships that lead to death – were formed and refined over millions of years of evolutionary time.
—Matt Kasson, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2024
Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong Film festivals: Cannes Release date: TBA
Awards potential: Prior to its Cannes debut, there was a ton of morbid fascination with what director Abbasi (Holy Spider) would do with the story of Donald Trump’s rise to power under the wing of villain-of-history Roy Cohn.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for morbid
Articles Related to morbid
Dictionary Entries Near morbid
Cite this Entry
“Morbid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morbid. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
morbid
adjective
mor·bid
ˈmȯr-bəd 
1
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of disease
b
: affected with or induced by disease
a morbid condition
morbid alteration of tissues
c
: productive of disease
morbid substances
2
: abnormally susceptible to or characterized by gloomy or unwholesome feelings
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