as in warm
formal + usually disapproving
having or showing too much interest in sex
He took a prurient interest in their personal life. a book that appealed to the prurient curiosity of its readers
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Recent Examples of prurient
Space exploration is a symbol of science at its most sophisticated, but the subject has always elicited a few prurient chuckles among civilians about what day-to-day life must really be like for the astronauts.
—
Michael Tedder,
The Atlantic,
12 Apr. 2026
Once printed, less prurient versions of these portraits would be displayed below the marquee at the Teatro Maipo, like religious icons in a vending machine, on the street-level exterior of the venue.
—
Bryan Barcena,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
The result was a niche-celebrity soap opera, generating an explosion of publicity and social-media commentary and mesmerizing a public whose interest, whether prurient or high-minded, appeared inexhaustible.
—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
2 Dec. 2025
The desire to know the answer to those questions is not a matter of prurient nosiness.
—
Mick Lasalle,
San Francisco Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prurient
Michael Tedder,
The Atlantic,
12 Apr. 2026
Once printed, less prurient versions of these portraits would be displayed below the marquee at the Teatro Maipo, like religious icons in a vending machine, on the street-level exterior of the venue.
—
Bryan Barcena,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
The result was a niche-celebrity soap opera, generating an explosion of publicity and social-media commentary and mesmerizing a public whose interest, whether prurient or high-minded, appeared inexhaustible.
—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
2 Dec. 2025
The desire to know the answer to those questions is not a matter of prurient nosiness.
—
Mick Lasalle,
San Francisco Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prurient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prurient
Adjective
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Goodson explains that pomegranates thrive in warm climates and are widely enjoyed around the world.
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Mallorca In fall, the crowds in Mallorca dissipate, the sea stays warm, and the impossible restaurant reservation opens up.
Adjective
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Wild Arugula While standard arugula may be part of many reasonably priced salad mixes, the deliciously spicy, dainty wild arugula fetches premium prices of $4 to $6 for a 5-ounce bunch.
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Modales leans into cold-hardy grapes varieties like blaufränkisch, the spicy Austrian red variety that has become a favorite by-the-glass pour at Ox Bar.
Adjective
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Counterculture Yippies would turn up at a 1970 Blood, Sweat & Tears show at Madison Square Garden, carrying obscene banners outside and dumping manure by the front gate.
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Yippies would turn up at a 1970 Blood, Sweat & Tears show at Madison Square Garden, carrying obscene banners outside and dumping manure by the front gate.
Adjective
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Some artists have eras, experimental phases, detours, creative dalliances; Arthur Russell’s career, for all its seeming contradictions—classical minimalism and lascivious disco, Zen Buddhist mantras and winsome country pop—was a continuum.
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On Thursday, Riemer pleaded guilty to two counts of lewd or lascivious exhibition.
Adjective
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Gibson asked for pornographic images of the minor, and sent photos of himself, according to court documents.
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While Washington drags its feet, kids across the nation are being exposed to vile, pornographic images and ads with no meaningful safeguards to prevent it.
Adjective
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Morris pleaded guilty in October last year in Oklahoma to five counts of lewd and indecent acts with a child.
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Varley, a teacher, was also found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm; four counts of cruelty to a person under 16; ten counts of taking indecent images of a child; two counts of possessing indecent images of a child; and one count of distributing an indecent image of a child.
Adjective
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Since the sandworm, several other buckets have gone viral, many for suggestive designs.
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Presley electrified audiences with his suggestive hip-swiveling, long sideburns, and leather jackets.
Adjective
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Margera tried to soothe the pain by submerging his fresh brand in a tub of filthy farm water, which resulted in a life-threatening staph infection that landed him in the hospital.
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Outside the Lineage warehouse Thursday morning, the smell of heavy smoke was already being replaced with that of spoiling food and filthy water.
Cite this Entry
“Prurient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prurient. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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