lurid
Americanadjective
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gruesome; horrible; revolting.
the lurid details of an accident.
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glaringly vivid or sensational; shocking.
the lurid tales of pulp magazines.
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terrible in intensity, fierce passion, or unrestraint.
lurid crimes.
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lighted or shining with an unnatural, fiery glow; wildly or garishly red.
a lurid sunset.
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wan, pallid, or ghastly in hue; livid.
adjective
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vivid in shocking detail; sensational
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horrible in savagery or violence
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pallid in colour; wan
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glowing with an unnatural glare
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lurid
First recorded in 1650–60, lurid is from the Latin word lūridus sallow, ghastly
Explanation
Something lurid is vivid and attention-grabbing in a shocking, graphic, or horrible way. that pulls them in. Your mother might complain that she hates lurid TV shows — ones that are overly sensationalized and meant to shock. An expression used to avoid hearing or seeing disturbing things is "spare me the lurid details," and people say that so they won't have shocking or ugly images put into their imaginations. The word lurid, which entered English in the 17th century, comes from Latin lūridis, "ghastly, pale yellow," and it can also refer to things that are a ghastly yellow color or to something shining with a strange red glow. All of the synonyms for the adjective lurid describe qualities that can turn a person pale: dreadful, nightmarish, and horrific, among others.
Vocabulary lists containing lurid
The Scarlet Letter
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100 Words to Make You Sound Smart
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Grade 11, List 5
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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.
Editors from London to Hollywood, elated that blood-sucking predators are attacking A-listers on their private beaches, have posted lurid headlines about “Vegan Vampire” ticks and “Billionaires Under Siege.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026
The chimp war study went viral for a variety of reasons, not least of them the lurid spectacle of a species other than our own committing despicable acts.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
Ms. Jeppson often chooses lurid titles to get those clicks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026
But there was much more enthusiasm from the Telegraph's Robbie Collin, who awarded a maximum five stars, lauding it as "resplendently lurid, oozy and wild."
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
I felt it, too: the dread, the weight of the horrors we’d seen, which replayed themselves in an endless, lurid loop in my mind.
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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.
