Synonyms of lurid

lurid

adjective

ˈlu̇r-əd 

1

as in gruesome

extremely disturbing or repellent

thank you for sparing us from the lurid details of the story

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gruesome
• horrific
• shocking
• nightmare
• horrible
• frightening
• horrifying
• terrible
• hideous
• terrifying
• terrific
• grisly
• dreadful
• macabre
• awful
• ghastly
• nightmarish
• appalling
• horrid
• scary
• sickening
• monstrous
• frightful
• disgusting
• horrendous
• atrocious
• grewsome
• obscene
• alarming
• fearful
• grotesque
• ugly
• loathsome
• repulsive
• dire
• revolting
• offensive
• formidable
• heinous
• forbidding
• obnoxious
• repugnant
• direful
• unspeakable
• deplorable
• odious
• vile
• abominable
• disagreeable
• intimidating
• bloodcurdling
• fearsome
• abhorrent
• distasteful
• gut-wrenching
• nauseating
• noxious
• hair-raising
• redoubtable
• evil
• heart-stopping
• noisome
• unsightly
• foul

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• attractive
• pleasant
• delightful
• delicious
• appealing
• enticing
• welcome
• satisfying
• delectable
• agreeable
• enjoyable
• pleasurable
• pleasing
• inviting
• soothing
• comforting
• cheering

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pallid
• pale
• paled
• ashen
• cadaverous
• pasty
• blanched
• livid
• ashy
• doughy
• wan
• sick
• mealy
• white
• peaked
• waxy
• sallow
• waxen
• sickly
• anemic
• whitened
• bloodless
• sallowish
• untanned
• white-faced
• whey-faced

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• red
• florid
• rosy
• ruddy
• sanguine
• glowing
• blooming
• flush
• pink
• rubicund
• full-blooded
• flushed
• blushing

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sensational
• juicy
• colorful
• screaming
• sensationalistic
• sensationalist
• theatrical
• theatric
• dramatic
• gee-whiz
• catchpenny
• suggestive
• shocking
• racy
• melodramatic
• gory
• catchy
• histrionic
• vulgar
• coarse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• innocuous
• tame
• inoffensive
• nonsensational
• proper
• formal
• dignified
• restrained

Synonym Chooser

How is the word lurid different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of lurid are ghastly, grisly, gruesome, and macabre. While all these words mean "horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect," lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder.

the lurid details of a crime

When might ghastly be a better fit than lurid?

While the synonyms ghastly and lurid are close in meaning, ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.

a ghastly accident

How do grisly and gruesome relate to one another, in the sense of lurid?

Both grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.

an unusually grisly murder

suffered a gruesome death

Where would macabre be a reasonable alternative to lurid?

The synonyms macabre and lurid are sometimes interchangeable, but macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.

a macabre tale of premature burial

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of lurid

Like the two previous installments, on Jeffrey Dahmer and the Menendez brothers, Ed Gein retells in lurid—and largely fantastical—detail the legend of a notorious murderer, with the aim of discerning what our collective obsession with and inevitable misunderstanding of each case says about society. —Judy Berman, Time, 6 Oct. 2025

Sherman gave them catchy, easy-to-identify titles and marketed them with dynamic, often lurid campaigns. —Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2025

The invitation to Versace’s Spring/Summer 2026 Milan Fashion Week show was a mysterious letter, urgently and longingly asking its recipient to come to a lurid afterparty of sorts. —Ludwig Hurtado, Them., 29 Sep. 2025

An abundance of kitschy wall decorations (fuzzy dice, fake flowers, party streamers) gleamed under flashing lights, casting the room in lurid shades of pink and green. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025