From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmorbidmor‧bid /ˈmɔːbɪd $ ˈmɔːr-/ adjective 1 UNPLEASANTwith a strong and unhealthy interest in unpleasant subjects, especially deathmorbid fascination/curiosity a morbid fascination with instruments of torture The trip was made all the worse by Frankie’s morbid fear of flying. His head was full of morbid thoughts.2 medicalMI relating to or caused by a disease a morbid gene —morbidly adverb —morbidity /mɔːˈbɪdəti $ mɔːr-/ noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
morbid• That had always struck me as pretty morbid, but this was the season of goodwill to all men.• A father's self-confidence and certainty were transformed into disorientation, self-doubt and a morbid contemplation of death.• Le Fanu was not alone in experiencing a morbid convergence between his life and his imaginings.• But the film has a morbid elegance and an exotic lust for the jugular.• I didn't mind; it kept my thoughts off morbid fancies about Granny in her wooden box.• Judging from the book's sales, people have a morbid fascination with murder.• a morbid gene• He walked quickly, his head full of morbid thoughts.• Some people react so strongly against the morbid view of doubt that they treat doubt casually, even celebrate it.• You're really morbid, you are.morbid fascination/curiosity• Cairns and co focus on the oddities of human nature with a certain morbid curiosity.• Ken particularly used to enjoy the murder trials - not for any morbid curiosity, but for the drama unfolding.• Is it morbid fascination that holds your attention?Origin morbid (1600-1700) Latin morbidus “diseased”, from morbus “illness” 