Gothic
/'gɔθik/
Definition
Adjective:
- Characterized by gloom, mystery, and the grotesque: Describing a style, atmosphere, or work of art that evokes feelings of horror, darkness, and the supernatural, often with elaborate and ornate details.
- As if belonging to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned and unenlightened: Describing something that is medieval in character, often implying barbarism or a lack of sophistication.
- Of or relating to the Goths: Pertaining to the ancient Germanic people.
- Of or relating to the language of the ancient Goths: Pertaining to the extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths.
- Characteristic of the style of type commonly used for printing German: Referring to a heavy, blackletter typeface style.
Noun:
- A style of architecture: A European architectural style of the high and late medieval period, characterized by features like pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses.
- A heavy typeface: A blackletter typeface style used from the 15th to 18th centuries.
- An extinct East Germanic language: The language of the ancient Goths, known primarily from a 4th-century Bible translation.
Examples of Usage
Adjective:
- The novel had a gothic atmosphere, full of haunted castles and family secrets.
- His views on education seemed positively gothic.
- Scholars study Gothic migrations across Europe.
- The Gothic Bible is a crucial linguistic artifact.
- The old German text was printed in a gothic font.
Noun:
- The cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic.
- This early printed book uses Gothic.
- Gothic is the earliest extensively recorded Germanic language.
Advanced Usage
- "Gothic novel": A genre of fiction that combines horror, death, and romance, often set in a gloomy, medieval-like atmosphere.
- 'Wuthering Heights' is often considered a Gothic novel.
- "Gothic Revival": An architectural movement beginning in the late 18th century that sought to revive medieval Gothic forms.
- The British Parliament building is a famous example of Gothic Revival.
Variants and Related Words
- Gothically (adverb): In a Gothic manner.
- The house was gothically ornate.
- Gothicize (verb, rare): To make Gothic in style or character.
- Neo-Gothic (adjective): Another term for Gothic Revival architecture.
Synonyms
- Macabre: Gruesome and horrifying, often related to death (for the atmospheric sense).
- Medieval: Of or relating to the Middle Ages (for the architectural/period sense).
- Blackletter: For the typographical sense.
Related Phrases
- American Gothic: Referring to a style of art or literature that applies Gothic elements to American settings and themes, famously exemplified by Grant Wood's painting.
- The stories of Flannery O'Connor are part of the American Gothic tradition.
Related Idioms
- To go gothic: (Informal) To adopt a style or aesthetic associated with Gothic subculture, involving dark clothing and music.
- In her teens, she decided to go gothic.
Adjective
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characterized by gloom and mystery and the grotesque
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gothic novels like `Frankenstein'
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as if belonging to the Middle Ages; old-fashioned and unenlightened
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a medieval attitude toward dating
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of or relating to the Goths
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Gothic migrations
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of or relating to the language of the ancient Goths
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the Gothic Bible translation
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characteristic of the style of type commonly used for printing German
Noun
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a style of architecture developed in northern France that spread throughout Europe between the 12th and 16th centuries; characterized by slender vertical piers and counterbalancing buttresses and by vaulting and pointed arches
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a heavy typeface in use from 15th to 18th centuries
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extinct East Germanic language of the ancient Goths; the only surviving record being fragments of a 4th-century translation of the Bible by Bishop Ulfilas
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