livid

American  

[liv-id] / ˈlɪv ɪd /

adjective

1. having a discolored, bluish appearance caused by a bruise, congestion of blood vessels, strangulation, etc., as the face, flesh, hands, or nails.

2. dull blue; dark, grayish-blue.

3. enraged; furiously angry.

   Willful stupidity makes me absolutely livid.

4. feeling or appearing strangulated because of strong emotion.

5. reddish or flushed.

6. deathly pale; pallid; ashen.

   Fear turned his cheeks livid for a moment.

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livid British  

/ ˈlɪvɪd /

adjective

1. (of the skin) discoloured, as from a bruise or contusion

2. of a greyish tinge or colour

   livid pink

3. informal angry or furious

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Other Word Forms

• lividity
  noun
• lividly
  adverb
• lividness
  noun

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!

Example Sentences

Though they later held meetings to smooth over their differences, the network is again livid following the reauthorization of German agrochemical giant Bayer's dicamba herbicide for sprayed use on genetically modified soybean and cotton.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

Rachael, who lives in Manchester, said her father's last World Cup trip left her mother "livid" as he missed her first birthday party.

From BBC • Dec. 10, 2025

Technology executives in some corners of Africa are livid.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

Lawmakers, surprised by the assault on their pet projects, were livid.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2024

Snape looked furious; Karkaroff livid; Bagman, however, looked rather excited.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

Related Words

• enraged
• furious
• incensed
• indignant
• mad
• outraged