turgid

adjective

tur·​gid ˈtər-jəd 

1

: excessively embellished in style or language : bombastic, pompous

turgid prose

2

: being in a state of distension : swollen, tumid

turgid limbs

especially : exhibiting turgor

turgidity

ˌtər-ˈji-də-tē 

noun

turgidly

ˈtər-jəd-lē 

adverb

turgidness noun

Synonyms

• swollen

Examples of turgid in a Sentence

turgid leeches having had their fill of blood

Recent Examples on the Web

That was one of the weaknesses of Bryan Singer’s joyless and swiftly forgotten 2006 effort, Superman Returns, while by contrast, distancing itself so strenuously from the Donner model was the fatal flaw of Zack Snyder’s turgid Man of Steel in 2013, though that doom-and-gloom saga has its champions. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025

After a frigid, turgid April (.147 average), everything’s starting to come to life again for one of the good dudes in the game. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 June 2025

Before getting sunk by a turgid love story — the kind of cinematic dead zone Thalberg would have blue-penciled in the screenplay stage — The Last Tycoon provides a good sense of what a producer actually does. —Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2025

However, there have been instances, such as the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa in November, when United looked turgid and struggled to create. —Charlotte Harpur, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin turgidus, from turgēre to be swollen

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

turgid

adjective

tur·​gid ˈtər-jəd 

1

: being in a swollen state

2

: exhibiting turgor

a turgid plant cell

Medical Definition

turgid

adjective

tur·​gid ˈtər-jəd 

: being in a normal or abnormal state of distension : swollen, tumid

turgid limbs

turgid living cells