grotesqueries
Hideously twisted forms
Grotesqueries are things that are bizarre, distorted, or absurdly ugly—whether physical objects, artistic creations, or situations.
The word often describes decorative art featuring fantastical human-animal hybrids or exaggerated figures, but it extends to anything combining the strange with the repulsive.
The carnival was full of grotesqueries: contorted faces, misshapen bodies, leering masks.
A single such thing is a grotesquerie, though the plural appears more frequently.
Unusual people or things
- monstrositiesShockingly ugly or wrong things
- aberrationsDepartures from the norm
- deformitiesPhysical structural irregularities
- malformationsAbnormal anatomical structures
misshapen · hideous · repulsive · mutants · chimeras · gorgons · fiends · beasts
Unhealthily drawn to darkness
- ghoulishFascinated by death grotesquely
- gruesomeCausing horror and disgust
- gargoylesDecorative architectural waterspouts
- gothicDark, mysterious aesthetic
sinister · cadaverous · sepulchral · deathly · haunting · chilling · eerie · creepy
Unusual things worth examining
- anomaliesDepartures from expected patterns
- peculiaritiesDistinctive odd characteristics
- raritiesUncommon or scarce items
- eccentricitiesUnusual personal behaviors
strangeness · weirdness · quirks · singularities · aberrations · freakishness · outré · bizarreness
Decorative architectural waterspouts
- corbelsProjecting wall supports
- arabesquesInterlaced ornamental patterns
- baroqueExcessively ornate or elaborate
- rococoExcessively elaborate in style
Exaggerated comic depictions
- parodiesSatirical imitations
- distortionsMisshapen versions of truth
- exaggerationsOverblown claims or statements
- farceAbsurd, laughable situation
mockeries · travesties · lampoons · satire · buffoonery · absurdities · ridiculousness · ludicrousness
freaks
Unusual people or things
- monstrositiesShockingly ugly or wrong things
- aberrationsDepartures from the norm
- deformitiesPhysical structural irregularities
malformations · misshapen · hideous · repulsive · mutants · chimeras · gorgons · fiends · beasts · creatures
morbid
Unhealthily drawn to darkness
- ghoulishFascinated by death grotesquely
- gruesomeCausing horror and disgust
- gargoylesDecorative architectural waterspouts
gothic · sinister · cadaverous · sepulchral · deathly · haunting · chilling · eerie · creepy · spectral
curiosities
Unusual things worth examining
- anomaliesDepartures from expected patterns
- peculiaritiesDistinctive odd characteristics
- raritiesUncommon or scarce items
eccentricities · strangeness · weirdness · quirks · singularities · aberrations · freakishness · outré · bizarreness · abnormalities
gargoyles
Decorative architectural waterspouts
- corbelsProjecting wall supports
- arabesquesInterlaced ornamental patterns
- baroqueExcessively ornate or elaborate
rococo · chimeras · waterspouts · bosses · door knockers
caricatures
Exaggerated comic depictions
- parodiesSatirical imitations
- distortionsMisshapen versions of truth
- exaggerationsOverblown claims or statements
farce · mockeries · travesties · lampoons · satire · buffoonery · absurdities · ridiculousness · ludicrousness · preposterousness
grotesqueriesbeauties
Exceptionally attractive ones
loveliness · splendors · attractiveness · elegances · prettiness
grotesqueriesnormalities
States of being standard
regularities · symmetries · ordinariness · proportions · harmonies
grotesquerieselegances
Qualities of tasteful refinement
refinements · subtleties · graces · dignities · delicacies