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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lurid In a promotional video, the founder showed off an office chess set, beers brewed from lurid blue Yunnan mushrooms and a small library stocked with quantum mechanics textbooks. Lavender Au, The Dial, 7 Oct. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for lurid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurid
Adjective
  • Von had been Trump-friendly before the gruesome and heartbreaking videos of the ICE raids targeting working immigrants started going viral on social media.
    Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Daniels suffered his gruesome non-throwing-arm injury during the fourth quarter of Week 9's blowout loss to the Seahawks.
    Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • County plans acknowledged potential harm to pallid bats native to the area and called for installing bat boxes to offer them an alternative habitat.
    Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Tallow or beef fat is usually pale, off-white, sometimes yellow: complexion was a key sign of chlorosis, which was named with a Greek word meaning pale, pallid, or yellow-green.
    Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Quarterback Josh Allen was sensational Sunday in the Bills’ 28-21 win over the Chiefs at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
  • But uncredited parts in the sensational 1961 Carroll Baker thriller Something Wild, and Norman Jewison's nightclub comedy 40 Pounds of Trouble from the year after, led to significant parts in some of the landmark films of the latter half of the Hollywood century.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • As this horrific scene is being investigated, prayers on behalf of our entire International Union are with those killed, injured, and affected, including their families, co-workers, and loved ones.
    Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The Washington Commanders took the brunt of criticism on Sunday after quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a horrific arm injury in the team’s 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The heiress and entrepreneur has a princess moment in a romantic pale pink gown with floral appliqués and a matching cape.
    Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025
  • These figures, while shocking, unfortunately pale in comparison to those from the recent war, now widely recognized as a genocide.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Toronto’s defenders continue to allow juicy shots from the slot game after game.
    Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • 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.
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Likewise, using the military to patrol the border is not a shocking mission.
    Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2025
  • The numbers game was too great before Rhea Ripley made her shocking return from an injury.
    Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Duran opened a colorful and fun new space in Elizabeth, accented with custom art.
    Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 11 Nov. 2025
  • There are ski helmets and Stetsons, colorful Gortex bibs and brown cowhide chaps, floor-length fur coats and hip-length puffer jackets — and of course, ski boots and cowboy boots.
    Cari Shane, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lurid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurid. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

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