as in warm
formal + usually disapproving
having or showing too much interest in sex
He took a prurient interest in their personal life. a book that appealed to the prurient curiosity of its readers
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 prurient
First, would the work as whole be seen as prurient by an ordinary person using community standards.
—
Peter Greene, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
The year that final season aired, 2004, is possibly when television’s prurient obsession with rich people really kicked off, with the launch of shows including Desperate Housewives, Entourage, and, notably, The Apprentice.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 June 2025
Then it was replaced by prurient talk about a nude shot.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2025
The desire to know the answer to those questions is not a matter of prurient nosiness.
—Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prurient
Peter Greene, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
The year that final season aired, 2004, is possibly when television’s prurient obsession with rich people really kicked off, with the launch of shows including Desperate Housewives, Entourage, and, notably, The Apprentice.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 June 2025
Then it was replaced by prurient talk about a nude shot.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2025
The desire to know the answer to those questions is not a matter of prurient nosiness.
—Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prurient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prurient
Adjective
-
During the chaos, community members like local restaurant owner Ron Grady stepped up to offer warm shelter and food to those who were stranded in the cold due to the massive multi-vehicle crash.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Thursday will be warm, dry and breezy in the Twin Cities, while other parts of Minnesota will face extreme fire risk.—
Joseph Dames,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Which was a fun mid-century technique to render a pic unpublishable.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
22 Aug. 2025
-
But much of what’s popping up on Substack is appealingly specific, the kind of stuff that’s unpublishable elsewhere.—
Emma Alpern,
Vulture,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Oh My Burger in the Coachella Courtyard, with thick single or double smashburgers generously doused in a spicy special sauce with pickles and melted cheese on a croissant bun.—
Senior Food Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The Artemis 2 crew had items such as sweet and sour chicken, Kona coffee with cream, butternut squash and spicy green beans.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Weapon violations dropped more than 13%, and crimes involving pornography or obscene material were down more than 23%, according to the report.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Do better, or consider hiring people who paint a vivid enough picture with words rather than having to lean on photographers who seem to have an obscene bloodlust.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The couple is back together in Arkansas after Joseph was released from custody on a $600,000 bond in Florida where he is charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Duggar was initially charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This material included thousands of pornographic deepfakes that Kamnik had generated using AI tools.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Police are investigating reports that Lake Zurich High School students used artificial intelligence to generate pornographic images of classmates, district officials said.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The case also ties to an earlier incident on March 24, when police say Alexander approached a woman under the pretense of asking for directions while engaging in indecent behavior.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
In May 2014, Caballero was convicted of a second-degree felony involving indecent contact with an 8-year-old female and was incarcerated, according to the Texas Public Sex Offender website.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On Chinese social media, some people said that K-pop — with its suggestive dance moves — is not appropriate for children.—
Ken Moritsugu,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
On Chinese social media, some people said that K-pop — with its suggestive dance moves — is not appropriate for children.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prurient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prurient. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
