Morbid
Having or showing an unusual or unhealthy interest in death, disease, or other disturbing subjects; often used to describe thoughts, humor, or curiosity that focus on morbidity.
adjectiveMorbid
Having or showing an unusual or unhealthy interest in death, disease, or other disturbing subjects; often used to describe thoughts, humor, or curiosity that focus on morbidity.
adjectiveImagine This
Picture a person who obsesses over crime scene photos and medical reports, carrying a journal filled with grim details, yet never acting on the impulse—this is morbid curiosity.
Sounds Like
MOR-bid
Looks Like
Root mor- relates to death or illness; visually similar to related words like morbidity and morose
Remember This
Morbid is commonly paired with curiosity or humor (morbid curiosity, morbid humor). It does not mean gloomy in general or moral in nature; its core sense is an unhealthy preoccupation with death or disease.
Other Forms
Connect With
macabre, gruesome, grisly, ghastly, morbidity, mortality
Note
Use with care; avoid describing people as morbid when you simply mean sad or gloomy. In medicine, 'morbid' can appear in phrases like morbid obesity, which indicates obesity with related disease risk. Also, avoid confusing with moribund, which means near death.