lovecraftian

/lʌvˈkɹæfti.ən/

Etymology

From Lovecraft + -ian, in reference to H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937), an American author of fantasy, horror, and science fiction, noted for combining these three genres within single narratives.

Why this word is great

LOVECRAFTIAN — [Adjective] Frighteningly monstrous and otherworldly, often with terrifyingly unnatural anatomy, or pertaining to the style or works of H. P. Lovecraft. From Lovecraft (surname of H. P. Lovecraft, American author) + -ian (suffix forming adjectives meaning 'pertaining to'). Unlike "gothic" (which evokes dark, medieval, and often romantic horror) or "surreal" (which suggests dreamlike absurdity), "Lovecraftian" is the vertigo of cosmic insignificance, the horror of geometries that twist the eye and entities that defy taxonomy. It is the cyclopean city rising from the ocean floor, the thing with too many eyes and too few dimensions, the sound that is not a sound but a vibration in the bones—proof that the universe is not merely indifferent, but actively hostile to human comprehension.

adj

  1. Frighteningly monstrous and otherworldly, sometimes with terrifyingly unnatural anatomy.“The tip of the thing was equipped with long whiplike appendages that writhed around a loose, drooling, toothless mouth large enough to swallow a man whole...Perhaps this was the only thing that the escaping Lovecraftian entity had thus far been able to extrude between the opening Gates — this one finger.”
  2. Of, pertaining to, or emulating the style or works of author H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937).“Lovecraftian horror”

noun

  1. A fan of American author H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937).“For zealous Lovecraftians there are a few choice tidbits—a short autobiography, his commonplace book, and his “History and Chronology of the Necronomicon.””