livid

adjective

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liv·id | \ ˈli-vəd

Definition of livid

1 : discolored by bruising : black-and-blue the livid traces of the sharp scourges— Abraham Cowley

2 : ashen, pallid this cross, thy livid face, thy pierced hands and feet— Walt Whitman

3 : reddish a fan of gladiolas blushed livid under the electric letters— Truman Capote

4 : very angry : enraged was livid at his son's disobedience

Other Words from livid Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about livid

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Did You Know?

Livid has a colorful history. The Latin adjective lividus means "dull, grayish, or leaden blue." From this came the French livide and eventually the English "livid," which was used to describe flesh discolored by a bruise when it was first recorded in the early 17th century. A slight extension of meaning gave it the sense "ashen or pallid," as used in describing a corpse. "Livid" eventually came to be used in this sense to characterize the complexion of a person pale with anger ("livid with rage"). From this meaning came two new senses in the 20th century. One was "reddish," as one is as likely to become red with anger as pale; the other was simply "angry" or "furious," the most common sense of the word today.

Examples of livid in a Sentence

the boss was livid when yet another deadline was missed her face was livid with fear

Recent Examples on the Web Trump was livid about the Fox call, in particular, and lashed out at the network, a source said. — Brian Stelter And Oliver Darcy, CNN, "Fox News and AP scrutinized for projecting Arizona while other outlets hold off," 5 Nov. 2020 All of Arkansas is still livid about the result, and the Hogmen of course have every right to be angry for the rest of the season. — Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, "Why does the SEC keep bailing out Auburn?," 24 Oct. 2020 Relatives of a grandmother killed when she was hit by a woman police say was street racing are livid after the suspect posted a Facebook video with harsh words for the victim. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "Woman charged with murder in alleged street racing crash posts video blaming grandmother killed in wreck," 24 Mar. 2021 Trump remains livid with Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia, who refused to support Trump’s false charges that Georgia’s elections were fraudulent. — Steve Peoples, Anchorage Daily News, "GOP signals unwillingness to part with Trump after riot," 27 Jan. 2021 Republicans have been livid, and called for Cuomo’s impeachment. — Lydia Wang, refinery29.com, "RIP Cuomosexuals: Why Governors Were Never Going To Be Our Saviors," 16 Feb. 2021 By this time David is livid, and shouting; the director can’t tell him what’s wrong with the take. — Dorothy Rabinowitz, WSJ, "‘Losing Alice’ and ‘Réunions’ Review: Family Dramas, Shady and Sunny," 21 Jan. 2021 Zimmer was livid on the sideline in Chicago on Nov. 16 when Bailey sent the second-half kickoff straight to three-time All-Pro returner Cordarrelle Patterson, who took it back for a touchdown. — Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, "Bears vs. Vikings live stream (12/20): How to watch NFL Week 15 online, TV, time," 20 Dec. 2020 Martin, for example, is discovered, in the early morning, sleeping outside a neighbor’s house, with his keys in his hand and a livid cut on his brow. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, "Planned Alcoholism in “Another Round” and Weaponized Camp in “The Prom”," 11 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'livid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.