1
as in gruesome
extremely disturbing or repellent
thank you for sparing us from the lurid details of the story
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pallid
lacking a healthy skin color
the doctor was alarmed by the patient's lurid complexion was lurid after a long winter spent indoors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sensational
arousing a strong and usually superficial interest or emotional reaction
the lurid news reports about the romance between the two Hollywood stars
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lurid
The outcome isn’t as fondly remembered as other King adaptations like Carrie or The Shining, but using the familiar zombie structure to comment on the universal fear and melancholy over death makes Pet Sematary a thoughtful, lurid affair.
—
Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 June 2025
Sequel films in the series grew even more lurid, and starred Alyssa Milano, Jaime Pressly, and Miriam McDonald.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 12 June 2025
On another work under way in her studio, the figure was barely visible: a lurid ear, parted lips, a nostril.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
The director Doris Wishman was a renegade: a woman who made lurid exploitation films at a time when American underground cinema was a man’s playground.
—Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurid
Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 18 June 2025
Sequel films in the series grew even more lurid, and starred Alyssa Milano, Jaime Pressly, and Miriam McDonald.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 12 June 2025
On another work under way in her studio, the figure was barely visible: a lurid ear, parted lips, a nostril.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
The director Doris Wishman was a renegade: a woman who made lurid exploitation films at a time when American underground cinema was a man’s playground.
—Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurid
Adjective
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Accounts of government and police repression have only gotten more gruesome, with Amnesty Kenya reporting that 16 people have been shot and killed as of June 28 and local officials claiming that hundreds have been injured (while also alleging that most of those hurt were police officers).—
Mankaprr Conteh,
Rolling Stone,
30 June 2025
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Forget turning on some gruesome horror movie: reading the daily headlines is enough to make just about anyone scream.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Similar prompts yielded images of a skull with glowing eyes hovering above an ornate cross, and another pallid, blank-eyed woman — this one hooded, with a halo of fire, crying blood.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2025
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My skin was pallid, and lesions covered the inside of my mouth.—
Suleika Jaouad,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Willis then turned his career around with a sensational 2024 campaign.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
On the surface, there's the sensational one that AI is evil and will wipe us all out if given half a chance.—
David Szondy
June 28,
New Atlas,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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Throughout the Holocaust, the Nazis concentrated European Jews in urban ghettos, which were marked by horrific living conditions, forced labor and the threat of execution.—
Tom Dreisbach,
NPR,
30 June 2025
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And that's a tough sell to a jury that spent weeks listening to horrific testimony about Diddy and his empire.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Three massive, tree-like sculptures made of pale wood rise to the ceiling, dividing the room from the inviting bar.—
Irene S. Levine,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
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In one scene captured on video, several bloodied children, including a girl in a pale pink princess dress, along with her twin brother, were piled onto a donkey cart to be taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital.—
Aurora Almendral,
NBC news,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
People.com,
1 July 2025
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Ahead, scroll through the juiciest inspiration for fruit nails.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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All those TikToks sharing the most important news of the week, or the Instagram influencers reacting to a shocking headline, or the YouTubers making video essays analyzing current events — all of these could not exist without the labor and specialized knowledge of journalists.—
Reia Li,
AZCentral.com,
9 July 2025
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In addition to all the shocking Prime Day finds on sale now, J.Crew Factory is stepping up and dropping prices.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
People.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Not to mention, the pastry pink shade is perfect for bright, colorful summer outfits.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
8 July 2025
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This Superman brings back the colorful visuals, the humor, the clever quips in the midst of battle, the lightheartedness of the vintage comics.—
Scott Phillips,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurid. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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