morbid

the word 'morbid' originates from the latin adjective 'morbidus', which means 'diseased' or 'sickly', itself derived from the noun 'morbus' (disease). this latin root is thought to be connected to the proto-indo-european root mer-, meaning 'to rub away' or 'to harm', which also gave rise to words associated with death and decay. the literal sense of 'diseased' entered english in the mid-17th century, and by the mid-18th century, the meaning had extended metaphorically to describe an unhealthy or gloomy state of mind, particularly an excessive preoccupation with grim and unpleasant subjects.

Structure: morb (disease) + id (adjective suffix) morb (from latin 'morbus', meaning disease, sickness); id (a suffix of latin origin used to form adjectives, often meaning 'pertaining to' or 'having the nature of').