macabre

Name: macabre, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˌməˈkɑː.bɹə/

//ˌməˈkɑː.bɹə// adj

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“macabre” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #31,641 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#31,641
frequency rank, English: 7
letters: 10
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Representing or personifying death.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

macabre vs McCabe

43% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for macabre
Property	Value
Headword	macabre
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/ˌməˈkɑː.bɹə/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#31,641
Misspellings tracked	10
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “macabre” 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). macabre lands here:

#31,641

#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 macabre is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌməˈkɑː.bɹə/. Corpus data places it at rank #31,641 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 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for macabre, with forms such as "amcabre", "maacbre", and "macabbre". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "McCabe", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French macabre, whose etymology is uncertain. Possibly from the term danse macabre, most commonly believed to be from corruption of the biblical name Maccabees; compare Latin Chorea Machabaeorum. Another theory derives the French term (through… The correct English form is macabre, spelled M-A-C-A-B-R-E.

Definition

1
Representing or personifying death.
2
Obsessed with death or the gruesome.
3
Ghastly, shocking, terrifying.

Etymology

Borrowed from French macabre, whose etymology is uncertain. Possibly from the term danse macabre, most commonly believed to be from corruption of the biblical name Maccabees; compare Latin Chorea Machabaeorum. Another theory derives the French term (through Spanish macabro) from Arabic مَقَابِر (maqābir, “cemeteries”), plural of مَقْبَرَة (maqbara) or مَقْبُرَة (maqbura).

This word in other languages

macabro(Español)macabre(Français)makaber(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: amcabre,maacbre,macabbre,macaber,macabrre,macarbe,macbare,maccabre,mcaabre,mmacabre

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of macabre - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "macabre"

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 "macabre"?

"macabre" is spelled M-A-C-A-B-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌməˈkɑː.bɹə/.

What does "macabre" mean?

As an adjective, "macabre" means: Representing or personifying death.

What words are commonly confused with "macabre"?

"macabre" is commonly confused with "McCabe". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "macabre"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "macabre" is /ˌməˈkɑː.bɹə/. 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 "macabre"?

Borrowed from French macabre, whose etymology is uncertain. Possibly from the term danse macabre, most commonly believed to be from corruption of the biblical name Maccabees; compare Latin Chorea Machabaeorum. Another theory derives the French ter... 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 “macabre”

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

The one correct English spelling is M-A-C-A-B-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˌməˈkɑː.bɹə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “McCabe” - see the side-by-side comparison. macabre vs McCabe
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.