ENGLISH
REFERENCE

morbid

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈmɔɹbəd// UK //mˈɔːbɪd// mor·bid

adj. having a strong interest in dark or unpleasant subjects, especially death or disease. You use it to describe someone who thinks about sad or scary things too much.

adj. characterised by an abnormal or unhealthy interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects, particularly death and decay. Often describes a psychological state or a specific fascination.


SIMPLE

He has a morbid interest in true crime stories.

CONTEXTUAL

The old house had a morbid atmosphere that made the visitors feel uneasy about its history.

COMPLEX

While some found the exhibition on Victorian funeral rites educational, others were put off by what they perceived as a morbid obsession with the physical reality of the grave.

Synonyms
Origin

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”).

Usage

Often follows linking verbs like 'seem' or 'become'; frequently modifies nouns like 'curiosity', 'fascination', or 'humor'.

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