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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 Hearst and other publishers, like Joseph Pulitzer, saw circulation spikes from their vivid, lurid, and constant coverage, facilitated by new technologies that brought battlefield color to readers at telegraphic speed. Emil Steiner, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025 Runyon said she will be remembered as a skilled author whose stories emit a lurid sense of place. Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 8 Aug. 2025 They get thrown into this lurid serial killer manhunt of an elusive murderer who collects body parts and uses leeches for insane reasons. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2025 In a surprising aside given the damaging, lurid testimony in the trial about Combs’ private life, Agnifilo said one of Diddy’s future goals is to perform at one of New York’s most iconic venues again. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lurid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurid
Adjective
  • But everything changes when a string of gruesome killings—which grow increasingly bizarre, with victims covered in rashes and found in deranged, violent states—involves his young daughter Hyo-jin (Kim Hwan-hee).
    Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • TikTok prohibits gory, gruesome or extremely violent clips.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Morfydd Clark, pallid at first, has some emotive scenes at the wedding when Ophelia rails at Hamlet for turning away from her.
    Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Yet senior test kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk recently took one of those pallid lumps and coaxed utter brilliance from it.
    Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Its algorithms are engineered to hold your attention, even when that means amplifying harmful or sensational material.
    Annie Margaret, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Its algorithms are engineered to hold your attention, even when that means amplifying harmful or sensational material.
    Annie Margaret, The Conversation, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Right-wing politicians have long used horrific crime stories – particularly those featuring Black suspects and White victims – to make broader criticisms of Democrats as soft on crime.
    Wesley Bruer, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The surveillance footage of the horrific attack was released by the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) over the weekend, FOX News reported.
    Christine Pelisek, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • One moment, the Sound of Sleat is a sheet of silver under a pale sun; the next, wind drives rain sideways into the distillery’s courtyard, rattling the pagoda roof.
    Gina Pace, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Curiosity and possibly even lust play into their first encounter; part of the welcome complexity between this pale-skinned woman of substance and this tall, equally alabaster, formerly dead drink of water is the ambiguity in their initial interactions.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • 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.
    Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 14 Sep. 2025
  • There are some mysteries and secrets here that look quite juicy.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The premiere also came with the shocking announcement of a double elimination next week.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The speed at which Kirk’s death became content was almost as shocking as the assassination itself.
    Marly Berlin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This energy is released as light, producing the colorful displays seen in the night sky.
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Grand Slam winners get a colorful Grand Slam Award sticker.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

More from Merriam-Webster on lurid

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