grotesque
/ɡɹəʊˈtɛsk/noun
A decorative art style that mixes strange, twisting shapes and figures woven together.
Example sentence
- “The palace ceiling was painted in an elaborate grotesque of vines, animals, and mythical faces.”
The everyday adjective means distorted to the point of ugliness or absurdity: a grotesque exaggeration. This art-history noun, from Italian cave paintings, is where it started.