If you say that something is lurid, you are critical of it because it involves a lot of violence, sex, or shocking detail.
[disapproval]
...lurid accounts of Claire's sexual exploits.
Some reports have contained lurid accounts of deaths and mutilations.
Synonyms: sensational, shocking, disgusting, graphic More Synonyms of lurid
luridlyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
His cousin was soon cursing luridly.
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
If you describe something as lurid, you do not like it because it is very brightly coloured.
[disapproval]
She took care to paint her toe nails a lurid red or orange.
Synonyms: glaring, bright, bloody, intense More Synonyms of lurid
luridlyadverb [usually ADVERB adjective/-ed]
It had a high ceiling and a luridly coloured square of carpet on the floor.
More Synonyms of lurid
lurid in British English
(ˈlʊərɪd, ˈljʊərɪd)
adjective
1.
vivid in shocking detail; sensational
2.
horrible in savagery or violence
3.
pallid in colour; wan
4.
glowing with an unnatural glare
Derived forms
luridly (ˈluridly)
adverb
luridness (ˈluridness)
noun
Word origin
C17: from Latin lūridus pale yellow; probably related to lūtum a yellow vegetable dye
lurid in American English
(ˈlʊrɪd)
adjective
1. Rare
deathly pale; wan
2.
glowing through a haze, as flames enveloped by smoke
3.
a.
vivid in a harsh or shocking way; startling; sensational
b.
characterized by violent passion or crime
a lurid tale
Derived forms
luridly (ˈluridly)
adverb
luridness (ˈluridness)
noun
Word origin
L luridus, pale yellow, ghastly
Examples of 'lurid' in a sentence
lurid
Such deals may leave those hoping for lurid accounts of life underground disappointed.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
That is because beneath the lurid headlines lies a political dispute.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
This lurid detail will become important in a mo.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
But behind the lurid tales there was humanitarian tragedy and there were genuine war crimes.
The Sun (2014)
The media seem determined not to miss any lurid detail in the unfolding drama.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The colours glow lurid and vivid.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He has been badly hurt by the accusations and lurid headlines and it will take time for him to rebuild his life.
The Sun (2016)
Out go the puzzling proportions and lurid colours, so disastrous on pale and sunburnt skins.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But hold on, there in the distance the beam catches a lurid flash of colour.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
More volunteers follow with lurid tales of domestic mishaps, each earning applause.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
When they realised that their visitor was not looking for lurid headlines, they began opening up.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
From this point of view, lurid media headlines can be regarded as encouraging.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Although it made for lurid headlines, the media nickname was erroneous.
Andy Dougan THE HUNTING OF MAN (2004)
The cold white light blazed and the trees were very old and the bark of them was a crackling silver and a lurid darkening red.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Sydney arrived with a lurid orange mane after dying it for a hair show last week, thinking it would wash out.
The Sun (2008)
This is a fantastically good-looking car in the metal, especially when painted in the lurid shade of orange this model is sporting.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Ahead, I could make out the lurid colours of my safe haven.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Yet instead of lurid accounts of the couple's classroom encounters, celebrity magazines have run pictures of them out strolling under captions about how happy they look.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In other languages
lurid
British English: lurid ADJECTIVE
If you say that something is lurid, you are critical of it because it involves a lot of violence, sex, or shocking detail.
...lurid descriptions of their love life.
American English: lurid
Brazilian Portuguese: sensacionalista
Chinese: 耸人听闻的
European Spanish: morboso
French: sordide
German: reißerisch
Italian: squallido
Japanese: 生々しい
Korean: 끔찍한
European Portuguese: sensacionalista
Latin American Spanish: morboso
1 (adjective)
Definition
vivid in shocking detail
lurid accounts of the crimes that they committed
Synonyms
sensational
sensational tabloid newspaper reports
shocking
This was a shocking invasion of privacy.
disgusting
graphic
violent
He could be violent from time to time.
savage
This was a savage and needless attack.
startling
grim
They painted a grim picture of growing crime.
exaggerated
revolting
explicit
vivid
ghastly
a particularly ghastly murder
gruesome
There has been a series of gruesome murders in the capital.
grisly
a series of grisly murders
macabre
Police have made a macabre discovery.
melodramatic
yellow
gory
unrestrained
shock-horror (facetious)
Opposites
controlled
,
mild
,
factual
,
carefree
,
breezy
,
jaunty
,
light-hearted
2 (adjective)
Definition
glaring in colour
She always painted her toenails a lurid red or orange.
Synonyms
glaring
bright
a bright red dress
bloody
intense
flaming
We had a flaming row last night.
vivid
a vivid blue sky
fiery
fiery autumn foliage
livid
sanguine
glowering
overbright
Opposites
pale
,
pastel
,
watery
3 (adjective)
Synonyms
pallid
His thin, pallid face broke into a smile.
pale
She looked pale and tired.
ghastly
She looked ghastly - frail, thin and colourless.
wan
He looked wan and tired.
ashen
He fell back, shocked, his face ashen.
sallow
His face was sallow and shiny with sweat.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of ashen
Definition
pale with shock
He fell back, shocked, his face ashen.
Synonyms
pale,
white,
grey,
wan,
livid,
pasty,
leaden,
colourless,
pallid,
anaemic,
ashy,
like death warmed up (informal)
in the sense of bright
Definition
(of colours) intense or vivid
a bright red dress
Synonyms
vivid,
rich,
brilliant,
intense,
glowing,
colourful,
highly-coloured
in the sense of fiery
Definition
consisting of or like fire
fiery autumn foliage
Synonyms
bright,
brilliant,
intense,
vivid,
vibrant
Nearby words of
lurid
lunge
lurch
lure
lurid
lurk
luscious
lush
Synonyms of 'lurid'
lurid
Explore 'lurid' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of flaming
Definition
very angry and heated
We had a flaming row last night.
Synonyms
intense,
angry,
raging,
impassioned,
hot,
aroused,
vivid,
frenzied,
ardent,
scintillating,
vehement
in the sense of ghastly
Definition
horrible
a particularly ghastly murder
Synonyms
gruesome,
shocking,
terrible,
terrifying,
horrible,
grim,
horrifying,
horrific,
fearful (informal),
horrendous,
hideous,
grisly,
repellent,
repulsive,
loathsome
in the sense of ghastly
Definition
deathly pale
She looked ghastly - frail, thin and colourless.
Synonyms
pale,
white,
washed-out,
wan,
livid,
pasty,
pallid,
anaemic,
ashen,
sallow,
cadaverous,
like death warmed up,
deathlike,
deathly pale
in the sense of grim
Definition
unfavourable and worrying
They painted a grim picture of growing crime.
Synonyms
terrible,
shocking (informal),
severe,
harsh,
forbidding,
horrible,
formidable,
sinister,
ghastly,
hideous,
gruesome (slang),
grisly,
horrid,
frightful,
godawful
in the sense of grisly
Definition
causing horror or dread
a series of grisly murders
Synonyms
gruesome,
shocking,
terrible,
awful,
terrifying,
appalling,
horrible,
grim,
dreadful,
sickening,
ghastly,
hideous,
macabre,
horrid,
frightful,
abominable,
hellacious (US, slang)
in the sense of gruesome
Definition
inspiring horror and disgust
There has been a series of gruesome murders in the capital.
Synonyms
horrific,
shocking,
terrible,
awful,
horrible,
grim,
horrifying,
fearful (informal),
obscene,
horrendous,
ghastly,
hideous,
from hell (informal),
grisly,
macabre,
horrid,
repulsive,
repugnant,
loathsome,
abominable,
spine-chilling,
hellacious (US, slang)
in the sense of livid
Synonyms
pale,
wan,
blanched,
pasty,
leaden,
bloodless,
pallid,
ashen,
greyish,
waxen,
doughy
in the sense of macabre
Definition
strange and horrible
Police have made a macabre discovery.
Synonyms
gruesome,
grim,
ghastly,
frightening,
ghostly,
weird,
dreadful,
unearthly,
hideous,
eerie,
grisly,
horrid,
morbid,
frightful,
ghoulish
in the sense of pale
Definition
(of a complexion) having a whitish appearance, usually because of illness, shock, or fear
She looked pale and tired.
Synonyms
white,
pasty,
bleached,
washed-out,
wan,
bloodless,
colourless,
pallid,
anaemic,
ashen,
sallow,
whitish,
ashy,
like death warmed up (informal)
in the sense of sallow
Definition
(of human skin) of an unhealthy pale or yellowish colour
His face was sallow and shiny with sweat.
Synonyms
wan,
pale,
sickly,
pasty,
pallid,
unhealthy,
yellowish,
anaemic,
bilious,
jaundiced-looking,
peely-wally (Scottish)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of savage
Definition
rude, crude, and violent
This was a savage and needless attack.
Synonyms
cruel,
brutal,
vicious,
bloody,
fierce,
harsh,
beastly (informal),
ruthless,
ferocious,
murderous,
ravening,
sadistic,
inhuman,
merciless,
diabolical,
brutish,
devilish,
bloodthirsty,
barbarous,
pitiless,
bestial
in the sense of shocking
Definition
causing dismay or disgust
This was a shocking invasion of privacy.
Synonyms
appalling,
outrageous,
disgraceful,
offensive,
distressing,
disgusting,
horrible,
dreadful,
horrifying,
revolting,
obscene,
sickening,
ghastly,
hideous,
monstrous,
scandalous,
disquieting,
unspeakable,
atrocious,
repulsive,
nauseating,
odious,
loathsome,
abominable,
stupefying,
hellacious (US, slang)
in the sense of violent
Definition
using or involving physical force with the intention of causing injury or destruction