lurid

adjective

lu·​rid ˈlu̇r-əd How to pronounce lurid (audio)
1
a
: causing horror or revulsion : gruesome
The tabloids gave all the lurid details of floating wreckage and dismembered bodies.
b
: melodramatic, sensational
also : shocking
paperbacks in the usual lurid covers T. R. Fyvel
2
a
: wan and ghastly pale in appearance
frightened to death by the lurid waxworksSara H. Hay
b
: of any of several light or medium grayish colors ranging in hue from yellow to orange
3
: shining with the red glow of fire seen through smoke or cloud
lurid flames
luridly adverb
luridness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for lurid

ghastly, grisly, gruesome, macabre, lurid mean horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect.

ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.

an unusually grisly murder
suffered a gruesome death

macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial

lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder.

the lurid details of a crime

Examples of lurid in a Sentence

a lurid tale of violence and betrayal the lurid lighting of a nightclub The light from the fire cast a lurid glow on everything.
Recent Examples on the Web To capture market share, publishers emphasized lurid scandals and dangerously blurred fact and fiction. TIME, 18 Mar. 2024 Purple Sky Metallic is an absolutely lurid hue that will turn heads from across the county, never mind the parking lot. Tim Stevens, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024 But politics take a back seat to Jagna’s more lurid, even tragic predicament, which isn’t exactly a love story, either, except perhaps an unrequited one. Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 The glamor of awards shows and film sets mixed with the lurid tabloid affairs that lined grocery-store checkouts to create an intoxicating image of the industry. Fran Hoepfner, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2024 Photo: Terrence O’Connor Most striking of all, though, is the album’s artwork, a lo-res, lurid green square with Brat written in a blurry sans serif. Liam Hess, Vogue, 29 Feb. 2024 Other inventory includes funky jewelry, lurid crime paperbacks from the 1950s and vintage Playboy magazines. Richard Guzman, Orange County Register, 16 Jan. 2024 Crimes targeting tourists may tarnish that rosy picture — but so, too, do the tourists themselves, according to officials and lawyers who represent men targeted by thieves, who say some are treating Medellín like a lurid playground. Genevieve Glatsky, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2024 Among the more lurid material that has found its way into teacher Chiang’s group chats is a video showing marching soldiers and blurred corpses on the battlefield in Ukraine. Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lurid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin luridus pale yellow, sallow

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of lurid was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near lurid

Cite this Entry

“Lurid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lurid. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lurid

adjective
lu·​rid ˈlu̇r-əd How to pronounce lurid (audio)
1
a
: causing horror or disgust : gruesome
lurid tales of murder
b
: sensational sense 2
lurid book covers
2
: lifelessly pale : wan
3
: shining with the red glow of fire seen through smoke
luridly adverb
luridness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lurid

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