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
The year that final season aired, 2004, is possibly when television’s prurient obsession with rich people really kicked off, with the launch of shows including Desperate Housewives, Entourage, and, notably, The Apprentice.
—
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 June 2025
Then it was replaced by prurient talk about a nude shot.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2025
During this time, Law was hounded by the press and made into an object of prurient fascination and lust.
—Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024
Apart from prurient interest, why should any of us really care?
—Robin Abcarian, The Mercury News, 3 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prurient
Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 June 2025
Then it was replaced by prurient talk about a nude shot.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2025
During this time, Law was hounded by the press and made into an object of prurient fascination and lust.
—Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024
Apart from prurient interest, why should any of us really care?
—Robin Abcarian, The Mercury News, 3 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prurient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prurient
Adjective
-
That has come to bear in his latest effort, Junior, a gorgeous 50-seat restaurant full of warm sound and spirit.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
First, fill the tub with warm water and dissolve one tablet, or one-half tablet for sinks.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Which was a fun mid-century technique to render a pic unpublishable.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
22 Aug. 2025
-
But much of what’s popping up on Substack is appealingly specific, the kind of stuff that’s unpublishable elsewhere.—
Emma Alpern,
Vulture,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Squirrels cannot stand this spicy smell and will steer clear of your garden or home.—
Heather Bien,
The Spruce,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Pair it with their signature warm nuts drenched in Tap Roots’ homemade spicy maple syrup, which is destined to put the hot honey craze to shame once word gets out.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Weiner pled guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor in 2017 and spent 15 months in federal prison for the crime.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Texas Tech’s student section directed an obscene chant at Kansas’ Darryn Peterson as the freshman guard prepared to shoot a free throw late in the first half of the Jayhawks’ 64-61 victory over the Red Raiders on Monday night at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Initially arrested on multiple counts of lewd and lascivious battery of a victim between 12 and 16 years old, he was charged in January with two more counts, both charges of possession of child pornography, court records show.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
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One of them, Marcelino Olguin, also pleaded guilty to lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14 and was sentenced to seven years in state prison.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The speakers took questions from concerned parents, who asked about the use of artificial intelligence to create pornographic images — a growing threat on social media — and what law enforcement will do about trafficking as the World Cup approaches.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Douglas Wiederhold, 42, who appeared as the male actor in 71 of the website’s pornographic videos, pleaded guilty in 2024 to a federal conspiracy charge for his involvement with the now-defunct site.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Officers cited her for indecent conduct.—
Steven Martinez,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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She was arrested again this week on a new charge of indecent behavior with juveniles, KADN reported.—
Alex Nitzberg,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Patients accused Heaps of groping them, performing unnecessarily invasive examinations and making suggestive comments.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The report noted some mottling and nodules in the liver and a spleen with one hypoechoic mass and multiple similar nodules suggestive of hemangiosarcoma.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prurient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prurient. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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