1
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
thank you for sparing us from the lurid details of the story
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pallid
lacking a healthy skin color
the doctor was alarmed by the patient's lurid complexion was lurid after a long winter spent indoors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sensational
arousing a strong and usually superficial interest or emotional reaction
the lurid news reports about the romance between the two Hollywood stars
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lurid
The unapologetically lurid tale of two families locked in an ever-complex cat’s cradle of class resentments and adulterous power plays also swarms with queen bees and jaw-droppingly muscular men that feel straight out of the Real Housewives playbook.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
For all the film’s lurid ambience and brutal action, there is something abstract about it, like the fulfillment of a literary conceit.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
Celebrity drama is supposed to be lurid and glamorous.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2026
During Maxwell’s trial, the judge barred the jury from seeing some of the more lurid photographs that were seized during the 2019 FBI raid of Epstein’s New York mansion.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurid
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
For all the film’s lurid ambience and brutal action, there is something abstract about it, like the fulfillment of a literary conceit.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2026
Celebrity drama is supposed to be lurid and glamorous.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2026
During Maxwell’s trial, the judge barred the jury from seeing some of the more lurid photographs that were seized during the 2019 FBI raid of Epstein’s New York mansion.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurid
Adjective
-
This story is set in a gruesome, violent, vile world.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Throughout the last two days, Ivey centered himself in faith and gratitude — two grounding principles for a player whose career was derailed in January 2025 by a gruesome leg injury.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Out of the bloodstains shone a pair of bright blue eyes, and a heart was beating under the pallid skin that looked several sizes too big.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Three weeks after that hit that sent a crowd of 75,261 at Empower Field into a pallid silence, Bryant is ever the same.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
17 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The risk is in presuming that anything subversive or sensational is also true and meaningful, and that anything conventional is a lie that must be smashed down.—
Laura K. Field,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
And then, Beyoncé, who has a stranglehold on excellence and can woo 100,000 with a look, shattered that bit of black-and-white history with a purple light, flames shooting up from the stage, and a sensational and sensual performance.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Hall said his mother’s final moments replay on a horrific loop in his head.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Jacquelyn’s attorney, Andrew Nebenzahl, said the company has ignored horrific crashes and entrapments.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These pale pink nails are accented with jade motifs, bright red strokes, and plum blossoms to signal hope and renewal.—
Odeya Pinkus,
InStyle,
7 Feb. 2026
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The striking look, from Erdem’s fall 2026 collection, centered on a pale pink gown with crystal embroidery and an explosive tulle skirt—replete with a matching pink tulle veil.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These showed no signs of mold or spoilage after a week, and most of the grapes on the bunch remained plump and juicy.—
Alma Avalle,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
-
If only the show was juicy enough to match the uproar.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This shocking ignorance and insensitivity by Ocasio-Cortez should rule her out of any potential presidential bid or other high office.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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Viewers barely have time to register what’s in front of them before there’s another shocking accusation, revelation, or character detail.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The role of colder, drier air Seasonal changes in the atmosphere can also affect how colorful sunrises and sunsets appear.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Guests crunch through colorful seasonal salads, sip from an expansive wine list and dig into chef Alan Sternberg's inventive pasta dishes at snugly cloistered tables in wood and brick alcoves lined with paintings, books and even a handful of typewriters.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurid. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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