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
- luridly adverb
- luridness noun
Etymology
Origin of lurid
First recorded in 1650–60, lurid is from the Latin word lūridus sallow, ghastly
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.
A lurid tale of misadventure, moral bankruptcy and mean girls, “His & Hers” has other qualities, too, notably Tessa Thompson, whose recent turn in “Hedda” haunts her role in this potboiler.
His lap in second qualifying was lurid, and he said over the radio that he was "surprised" to make it through because he was "driving like rallying".
From BBC
Yet so much of the media coverage around Kennedy, especially lately, has focused more on his personality and lurid life history rather than the chaos and destruction he has sown.
From Salon
The pulp magazines that featured 20th-century fantasy and science fiction were fronted by illustrations that could be laughable or lurid.
It was once the job of “sleazy” tabloids to destroy lives with lurid gossip that titillated the public but lacked public interest in the high-minded sense.
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.
