Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Origin: grue 'to shake (with fear)' (14-19 centuries), from Middle Dutch gruwen

gruesome

 adjective
     
grue‧some
very unpleasant or shocking, and involving someone being killed or badly injured:
Police described it as a particularly gruesome attack.
Spare me the gruesome details.
—gruesomely adverb
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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