Synonyms of lurid

lurid

adjective

ˈlu̇r-əd 

1

as in gruesome

extremely disturbing or repellent

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• gruesome
• horrific
• shocking
• horrible
• nightmare
• frightening
• terrible
• horrifying
• hideous
• terrifying
• grisly
• terrific
• dreadful
• macabre
• awful
• ghastly
• nightmarish
• appalling
• scary
• horrid
• sickening
• monstrous
• frightful
• disgusting
• horrendous
• atrocious
• alarming
• obscene
• ugly
• grotesque
• fearful
• dire
• loathsome
• repulsive
• revolting
• direful
• offensive
• formidable
• heinous
• forbidding
• obnoxious
• repugnant
• unspeakable
• deplorable
• odious
• vile
• abominable
• disagreeable
• intimidating
• bloodcurdling
• fearsome
• abhorrent
• distasteful
• gut-wrenching
• nauseating
• noxious
• hair-raising
• redoubtable
• evil
• heart-stopping
• noisome
• unsightly
• foul

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• attractive
• pleasant
• delightful
• delicious
• appealing
• enticing
• welcome
• satisfying
• delectable
• agreeable
• enjoyable
• pleasurable
• pleasing
• inviting
• soothing
• comforting
• cheering

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

• pallid
• pale
• paled
• ashen
• cadaverous
• pasty
• blanched
• livid
• ashy
• doughy
• wan
• sick
• mealy
• white
• peaked
• waxy
• sallow
• waxen
• sickly
• anemic
• whitened
• bloodless
• sallowish
• untanned
• white-faced
• whey-faced

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• red
• florid
• rosy
• ruddy
• sanguine
• glowing
• blooming
• flush
• pink
• rubicund
• full-blooded
• flushed
• blushing

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sensational
• juicy
• colorful
• screaming
• sensationalistic
• sensationalist
• theatrical
• dramatic
• catchpenny
• gee-whiz
• shocking
• suggestive
• racy
• melodramatic
• gory
• catchy
• histrionic
• vulgar
• coarse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• innocuous
• tame
• inoffensive
• nonsensational
• proper
• formal
• dignified
• restrained

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

Recent Examples of lurid

The man in the middle of 2025’s most lurid political-media storm seems intent on riding it out in silence. —Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 3 Dec. 2025

At home, their lives could be just as lurid—perhaps nowhere more so than around Fort Bragg, in North Carolina, where the secretive Delta Force is headquartered. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

But the Grand Dame of the mystery novel wouldn’t have dreamt up such a lurid and disturbing crime. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025

Like many other recent true crime adaptions, the show has nothing to say, and there's zero artistry in its lurid retelling of a man murdering his wife and son. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025