Word
morbid
Phoneticsmor·bid, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈmɔɹbəd/
UK/mˈɔːbɪd/
Definitions
01interest in death
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. having or showing an unhealthy interest in unpleasant things, especially death.
adj. characterized by an abnormal or unhealthy interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects, particularly death and decay.
“He has a morbid fascination with true crime stories and old cemeteries.”
“The public's morbid curiosity regarding the details of the accident was reflected in the sensationalist headlines of the morning tabloids.”
02gruesome or dark
C1 · Advanced Literary
adj. suggesting the horror of death; dark and unpleasant.
adj. suggesting the physical or psychological horror of death; grisly or gruesome in nature.
“The artist's later paintings were filled with morbid images of skeletons.”
“The novel was criticized for its morbid atmosphere, which many readers found unnecessarily depressing and graphic.”
03medical/disease
C2 · Proficiency Medicine Technical
adj. relating to or caused by a disease.
adj. relating to, affected by, or characteristic of disease; used in technical contexts to describe pathological states.
Español:mórbido
“The doctor examined the morbid growth to see if it was dangerous.”
“The researcher studied the morbid anatomy of the lungs to understand how the virus caused such extensive damage.”
Usage
In modern medicine, this is often found in the term 'morbid obesity', referring to a specific medical classification of weight.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin morbidus (“diseased”), from morbus (“sickness”), itself from the root of morī (“to die”) or directly from Proto-Indo-European *mer- (“to rub, pound, wear away”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/morbid
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0