gruesome

/ˈɡɹuːsəm/

//ˈɡɹuːsəm// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"gruesome" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gruesome” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,371 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#20,371
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Repellently frightful and shocking; ghastly, horrific.

Key facts for gruesome
PropertyValue
Headwordgruesome
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɡɹuːsəm/
Letters8
Frequency rank#20,371
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gruesome” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). gruesome lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for gruesome is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡɹuːsəm/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,371 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for gruesome, with forms such as "ggruesome", "greusome", and "grruesome". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From grue (“(archaic except Northern England, Scotland) to be frightened; to shudder with fear”) + -some (suffix meaning ‘characterized by some specific condition or quality, usually to a considerable degree’ forming adjectives and nouns), probably populari… The correct English form is gruesome, spelled G-R-U-E-S-O-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Repellently frightful and shocking; ghastly, horrific.
  2. 2
    Awful, terrible.
  3. 3
    Of a person: filled with fear; afraid, fearful.

Etymology

From grue (“(archaic except Northern England, Scotland) to be frightened; to shudder with fear”) + -some (suffix meaning ‘characterized by some specific condition or quality, usually to a considerable degree’ forming adjectives and nouns), probably popularized by the Scottish novelist and poet Walter Scott (1771–1832): see, for example, the 1816 quotation. cognates * Danish grusom (“cruel; horrible”) * Middle Dutch grousaem, grusaem (modern Dutch gruwzaam (“cruel; gruesome”)) * Middle High German grûsam, grûwesam (modern German grausam (“cruel”)) * Norwegian Bokmål grusom (“cruel; horrible”)

This word in other languages

espantoso(Español)horrible(Français)grauenhaft(Deutsch)medonho(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggruesome,greusome,grruesome,grueosme,gruesmoe,gruesoem,gruesomme,gruessome,gruseome,guresome,rguesome

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gruesome - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ggruesome1greusome2grruesome1grueosme2gruesmoe2gruesoem2gruesomme1gruessome1
Edit distance from "gruesome"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "gruesome"?
"gruesome" is spelled G-R-U-E-S-O-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɹuːsəm/.
What does "gruesome" mean?
As an adjective, "gruesome" means: Repellently frightful and shocking; ghastly, horrific.
What are common misspellings of "gruesome"?
Common misspellings include "ggruesome", "greusome", "grruesome", "grueosme", "gruesmoe". The correct spelling is "gruesome".
How do you pronounce "gruesome"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gruesome" is /ˈɡɹuːsəm/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "gruesome"?
From grue (“(archaic except Northern England, Scotland) to be frightened; to shudder with fear”) + -some (suffix meaning ‘characterized by some specific condition or quality, usually to a considerable degree’ forming adjectives and nouns), probabl... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “gruesome”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is G-R-U-E-S-O-M-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡɹuːsəm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list