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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 director Doris Wishman was a renegade: a woman who made lurid exploitation films at a time when American underground cinema was a man’s playground.
—
Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 2 June 2025
A lot of movies in this subset of vampire stories are entertaining or lurid or both, but this one from director Emily Harris is actually a good movie, too.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2025
There are a lot of posts about lurid revelations from the Diddy trial, which is happening concurrently.
—M. J. Corey, New Yorker, 24 May 2025
These hearings took place against the backdrop of the Watergate scandal, which included lurid revelations about the Nixon administration’s effort to weaponize the IRS.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurid
Erik Piepenburg, New York Times, 2 June 2025
A lot of movies in this subset of vampire stories are entertaining or lurid or both, but this one from director Emily Harris is actually a good movie, too.
—Jordan Crucchiola, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2025
There are a lot of posts about lurid revelations from the Diddy trial, which is happening concurrently.
—M. J. Corey, New Yorker, 24 May 2025
These hearings took place against the backdrop of the Watergate scandal, which included lurid revelations about the Nixon administration’s effort to weaponize the IRS.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lurid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lurid
Adjective
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In the wake of the gruesome shootings of two Minnesota Democratic lawmakers and their spouses, Lee took to social media.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
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So prepare for more gruesome kills, more gross-outs, more insight into how a society might actually look a generation after an unfathomable event.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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My skin was pallid, and lesions covered the inside of my mouth.—
Suleika Jaouad,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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The paintings are brushy and pallid, seemingly hinting at a dissatisfaction with commodified products such as these.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Boyd made a sensational catch of a hard liner off the bat of J.P. Crawford to end the fifth, but his left shoulder was bruised on the play and manager Craig Counsell removed him after the inning.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 2025
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After Chris Sale’s sensational 8 2/3 innings in Wednesday’s 5-0 shutout, Strider came through with his second impressive start in a row.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Remember the horrific pro-Western regime of the Shah with its 150,000+ political prisoners?—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
21 June 2025
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Even the hill opposite, which is free to attend, is noticeably quieter, although the horrific, endless rain will have something to do with that.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Symptoms of heat exhaustion may include heavy sweating and fatigue, a weak pulse and skin that’s cool, pale or clammy, as well as headache, dizziness, nausea and fainting.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
30 June 2025
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The wine is a pale straw with greenish highlights, featuring aromas of green apple, lemon, and spring flowers.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Adjective
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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.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
People.com,
20 June 2025
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Crispy Chicken Salad Wraps The strawberry lemonade adds a juicy, fruity contrast to savory wraps filled with crunchy lettuce, grilled or breaded chicken, and a creamy dressing.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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The 6-foot-7 forward will join Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis with the Mavericks, who are looking to turn around the franchise following the shocking midseason trade of Luka Dončić in February.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
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The Paris heavyweight routed Atletico Madrid 4-0 in their Club World Cup opening game, suffered a shocking 1-0 upset by Brazilian club Botafogo in their second match, and then beat the Seattle Sounders 2-0 to clinch first place in the group.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Other varieties provide additional design elements such as interesting bark, colorful fruits, and fabulous fall foliage to enhance the garden all year long.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
27 June 2025
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Kelce attended the event wearing a white muscle tank, patriotic shorts, and white sneakers, accompanied by a colorful baseball cap.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lurid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lurid. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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