morbid
pronunciation
How to pronounce morbid in British English:
UK [ˈmɔːbɪd]
How to pronounce morbid in American English:
US [ˈmɔːrbɪd]
-
- Adjective:
- suggesting an unhealthy mental state
- suggesting the horror of death and decay
- caused by or altered by or manifesting disease or pathology
Word Origin
- morbid (adj.)
- 1650s, "of the nature of a disease, indicative of a disease," from Latin morbidus "diseased," from morbus "sickness, disease, ailment, illness," from root of mori "to die," which is possibly from PIE root *mer- "to rub, pound, wear away" (cognates: Sanskrit mrnati "crushes, bruises;" Greek marainein "to consume, exhaust, put out, quench," marasmus "consumption"). Transferred use, of mental states, is from 1777. Related: Morbidly; morbidness.
Example
- 1. A large movement shocked me from my morbid contemplation .
- 2. And so may 4 will be fascinating -- even if the fascination is of the morbid variety .
- 3. Thus , the chowder soup took on its morbid chinese name , which means " coffin bread . "
- 4. Mr kim is said to have taken a morbid interest in the fate of nicolae ceausescu , the romanian leader who in 1989 was shot after a two-hour trial .
- 5. To an economic historian , the depression inspires a kind of morbid fascination , like contemplating the campaigns of genghis khan or the spread of the black plague .