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 actors sprang to life, staging a lurid scene in which an evil mistress named Selina frames the heroine for killing her unborn child.
—
Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
The Cascio’s lawsuit paints a lurid picture of Jackson giving the siblings drugs and alcohol and exposing them to child pornography, all to help facilitate the abuse and manipulation.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
This film comes from the same director as the Albert Fish documentary above, so don’t expect a delicate delivery; the modus operandi here is stock footage and lurid detail.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
The electricity of this Ivanov can sometimes give it a lurid, Frankenstein-ish quality, and the unabashed intensity works.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lurid
Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
The Cascio’s lawsuit paints a lurid picture of Jackson giving the siblings drugs and alcohol and exposing them to child pornography, all to help facilitate the abuse and manipulation.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
This film comes from the same director as the Albert Fish documentary above, so don’t expect a delicate delivery; the modus operandi here is stock footage and lurid detail.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
The electricity of this Ivanov can sometimes give it a lurid, Frankenstein-ish quality, and the unabashed intensity works.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lurid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurid
Adjective
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With Chubb and Phillips still on the mend from gruesome injuries the year prior, the then-rookie was thought to be the heir apparent.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
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The case has been widely reported by China’s heavily state censored media for the gruesome details of how Xu plotted the murder.—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Opponents of the proposal want the county to consider different locations for the park site, arguing the project may harm a variety of native species to the area, including the western spadefoot toad and pallid bats.—
Hannah Elsmore,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
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While disrupting the business of an American multinational company may seem a pallid response to the destruction of an Iranian primary school where more than a hundred children were killed, such asymmetric attacks in the physical and digital realms have been a feature of this conflict.—
Sue Halpern,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There are valid criticisms surrounding the true crime genre, including accusations that the medium has become sensational and exploitative.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
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There's a drink for every occasion among our sensational picks!—
Sonal Dutt,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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Not just their physical injuries, horrific in themselves.—
Susan Rona,
Time,
1 June 2026
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Accompanying the violence, both the Naxals and the security forces – including local militia raised to combat the rebels – have been accused of horrific human rights abuses, including abductions, torture and rape.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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One star is a pale orange and the other is a very distinct blue.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
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Other signs include pale or yellow leaves all over, mushy stems, and visible fungus at the base of the plant.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 June 2026
Adjective
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According to Rebecca Isa, some shades that feel instantly fresh and vacation-ready are bold turquoise, juicy red, vivid green, or bright yellow.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
28 May 2026
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Domingo and Fey are even better, achieving an honest rapport that too many other dynamics lack, while Kenney-Silver arguably gets the juiciest arc, filled with showy slapstick and a challenge unique to sitcoms but relatable outside of them.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Where the movie’s true eccentricity comes in is in its combination of breezy comedy with shocking brutality and gore, perhaps most exemplified in an oddly casual moment in a morgue where Seagal and Wayans find a clue in the form of a serial number on a dead woman’s breast implant.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
5 June 2026
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Crayton said that the decision to allow Alabama to ignore the lower court’s ruling was shocking.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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Despite the colorful comparisons, Williams and Tsien based the museum’s shape on a visual of four hands coming together, promoting the idea that many hands shape a place, according to the center.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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This simple recipe uses red and yellow heirloom tomatoes for a colorful contrast.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lurid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurid. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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