Morbid

/ˈmɔrbɪd/ adjective

Definition

Showing an unhealthy interest in unpleasant subjects like death or disease, or relating to disease or sickness.

Etymology

From Latin 'morbidus' (diseased, sickly), derived from 'morbus' (disease). The English word retained both the literal medical meaning and developed the psychological meaning of an unhealthy preoccupation with dark topics.

Kelly Says

The fascinating thing about 'morbid' is that it comes from 'morbus' (Latin for disease), so calling someone 'morbid' literally means their mind is 'diseased'—which shows how medieval thinkers viewed dark interests as mental illness, a judgment that still echoes in modern language.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.