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.
Though the scandal devastated the NOS community and made for lurid headlines in the country's newspapers, for some it had not come out of the blue.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
The lurid allegations in the lawsuit have captivated Wall Street and gone viral.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 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
The Pentagon described this and other lurid reports of the meeting as “highly exaggerated and distorted.”
From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2026
He stopped at a ledge and looked back; he saw in the lurid glare of the slashing lances of light a man stumbling over the snow.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
