Definition of
Macabre
- (adj, all) shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
the grim aftermath of the bombing
the grim task of burying the victims
a grisly murder
gruesome evidence of human sacrifice
macabre tales of war and plague in the Middle ages
macabre tortures conceived by madmen
- (adj, all) shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
via WordNet, Princeton University
Origin of the word Macabre
- c.1430, from O.Fr. (danse) Macabr? "(dance) of Death" (1376), probably a translation of M.L. (Chorea) Machab?orum, lit. "dance of the Maccabees" (leaders of the Jewish revolt against Syro-Hellenes, see Maccabees). The association with the dance of death seems to be via vivid descriptions of the martyrdom of the Maccabees in the Apocryphal books. The abstracted sen… more
via Online Etymology Dictionary, ©2001 Douglas Harper
Words that sound like Macabre
macebearer, make for, make over, make pure, makeover, mangifera, max weber, megaspore, mesosphere, mesua ferrea, micawber, minesweeper, misbehavior, misbehaviour, misfire, mossbauer, munich beer, muscivora, music paper
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