lurid

[ loor-id ]
See synonyms for lurid on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. gruesome; horrible; revolting: the lurid details of an accident.

  2. glaringly vivid or sensational; shocking: the lurid tales of pulp magazines.

  1. terrible in intensity, fierce passion, or unrestraint: lurid crimes.

  2. lighted or shining with an unnatural, fiery glow; wildly or garishly red: a lurid sunset.

  3. wan, pallid, or ghastly in hue; livid.

Origin of lurid

1
First recorded in 1650–60, lurid is from the Latin word lūridus sallow, ghastly

Other words for lurid

Other words from lurid

  • lu·rid·ly, adverb
  • lu·rid·ness, noun

Words Nearby lurid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use lurid in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lurid

lurid

/ (ˈlʊərɪd, ˈljʊərɪd) /


adjective
  1. vivid in shocking detail; sensational

  2. horrible in savagery or violence

  1. pallid in colour; wan

  2. glowing with an unnatural glare

Origin of lurid

1
C17: from Latin lūridus pale yellow; probably related to lūtum a yellow vegetable dye

Derived forms of lurid

  • luridly, adverb
  • luridness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012