morboso

morbid

adjective mor-BOH-zoh Rare

Also means

unhealthy; obsessive

Usage Note

Morboso is a false friend: it does not mean 'morbose' in the medical sense but rather 'unhealthily obsessive' or 'disturbing' in everyday Italian — used of curiosity, attraction, or fascination that is considered excessive or dark. A curiosità morbosa is a creepy fixation, not a clinical disorder.

Examples

"Ha una curiosità morbosa per i delitti."

Natural Translation

He has a morbid curiosity about crimes.

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