livid
Americanadjective
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having a discolored, bluish appearance caused by a bruise, congestion of blood vessels, strangulation, etc., as the face, flesh, hands, or nails.
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dull blue; dark, grayish-blue.
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enraged; furiously angry.
Willful stupidity makes me absolutely livid.
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feeling or appearing strangulated because of strong emotion.
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reddish or flushed.
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Fear turned his cheeks livid for a moment.
adjective
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(of the skin) discoloured, as from a bruise or contusion
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of a greyish tinge or colour
livid pink
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informal angry or furious
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of livid
First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin līvidus “black and blue,” equivalent to līv(ēre) “to be livid” (akin to Welsh lliw “color”) + -idus adjective suffix; see -id 4
Explanation
If you're livid, you're furious, in a black cloud of anger. The Latin root this word comes from means "bluish-gray" or "slate-colored," and you can also use livid to describe the color, such as a livid bruise or a livid sea. Livid, even when it means "bluish-gray," has the sense of something not quite right. If the sky is livid, there's something ominous about it. Similarly, if your skin is livid, there's something wrong — you're either covered with bruises or you're at death's door, anemic and ashen. But livid is used most often to describe fury. What if you waited in line 15 hours and the person in front of you got the last seat for the hottest concert of the summer? You'd be livid!
Vocabulary lists containing livid
Emotions on Display
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Grade 11, List 4
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The 2025 leg of Cho’s Live and Livid tour began at the Brea Improv in January and continues at North American theaters and clubs through May.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2025
Livid India team manager GS Ramchand described it as the "most disgraceful and selfish performance I have seen".
From BBC • Sep. 29, 2023
Live and Livid celebrates Cho’s 40 years in stand-up comedy with two shows, radiating rage about homophobia, sexism, racism and the fight to stay alive in today’s culture.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 1, 2023
Livid: Walk, work and exercise off as much as the anger as you can, using that time to think it through, then go back in there.
From Washington Post • Oct. 1, 2022
Livid though he was, Reynie fought to regain control of himself.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
