Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

lurid

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of lurid

1 extremely disturbing or repellent

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

appalling, atrocious, awful, dreadful, frightful, ghastly, grisly, gruesome (also grewsome), hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, horrific, horrifying, macabre, monstrous, nightmare, nightmarish, shocking, terrible, terrific
Words Related to lurid

alarming, bloodcurdling, dire, direful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening, gut-wrenching, hair-raising, heart-stopping, intimidating, redoubtable, scary, terrifying

abhorrent, deplorable, disagreeable, disgusting, distasteful, loathsome, nauseating, noisome, obnoxious, obscene, offensive, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, sickening

abominable, evil, foul, heinous, noxious, odious, unspeakable, vile

grotesque, ugly, unsightly
Near Antonyms of lurid

agreeable, appealing, attractive, delectable, delicious, delightful, enjoyable, enticing, inviting, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, welcome

cheering, comforting, soothing

2 lacking a healthy skin color

  • the doctor was alarmed by the patientʼs lurid complexion
  • was lurid after a long winter spent indoors
Synonyms of lurid

ashen, ashy, blanched, cadaverous, doughy, livid, mealy, pale, paled, pallid, pasty, peaked, wan
Words Related to lurid

sallow, sallowish, sick, sickly, waxen, waxy

white, whitened

anemic, bloodless

untanned

whey-faced, white-faced
Near Antonyms of lurid

blushing, flushed, pink
Antonyms of lurid

blooming, florid, flush, full-blooded, glowing, red, rosy, rubicund, ruddy, sanguine

3 arousing a strong and usually superficial interest or emotional reaction

  • the lurid news reports about the romance between the two Hollywood stars
Synonyms of lurid

catchpenny, gee-whiz, screaming, sensational, sensationalist, sensationalistic
Words Related to lurid

catchy

colorful, juicy, racy, suggestive

dramatic, histrionic, melodramatic, theatrical (also theatric)

coarse, vulgar

gory, shocking
Near Antonyms of lurid

innocuous, inoffensive, tame

dignified, formal, proper, restrained
Antonyms of lurid

nonsensational

Synonym Discussion of lurid

ghastly, grisly, gruesome, macabre, lurid mean horrifying and repellent in appearance or aspect. ghastly suggests the terrifying aspects of corpses and ghosts.
    • a ghastly accident
grisly and gruesome suggest additionally the results of extreme violence or cruelty.
    • an unusually grisly murder
    • suffered a gruesome death
macabre implies a morbid preoccupation with the physical aspects of death.
    • a macabre tale of premature burial
lurid adds to gruesome the suggestion of shuddering fascination with violent death and especially with murder.
    • the lurid details of a crime

Learn More about lurid

  1. See words that rhyme with lurid Dictionary: Definition of lurid Spanish Central: Translation of lurid Nglish: Translation of lurid for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up lurid? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games