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
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Recent Examples of prurient
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
During this time, Law was hounded by the press and made into an object of prurient fascination and lust.
—Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024
Apart from prurient interest, why should any of us really care?
—Robin Abcarian, The Mercury News, 3 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prurient
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
During this time, Law was hounded by the press and made into an object of prurient fascination and lust.
—Ramin Setoodeh, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024
Apart from prurient interest, why should any of us really care?
—Robin Abcarian, The Mercury News, 3 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for prurient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prurient
Adjective
-
Kreigh Spring Welcome Porch Sign Create a warm ambience with this welcome sign that props up against your front door.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
-
January’s stronger-than-expected total was likely buoyed by some one-time factors (notably, weaker holiday hiring that meant fewer post-holiday layoffs, and unseasonably warm weather in the early part of the month that boosted industries like construction).—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Which was a fun mid-century technique to render a pic unpublishable.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
22 Aug. 2025
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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
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Since then, she’s cultivated family-favorite cucumbers, delicate butter lettuce, spicy arugula and herbs of all kinds in the metal-and-glass structure with a shed roof.—
Mary Grace Granados,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Dishes like Indian street corn, pumpkin chana masala, and spicy seafood soup drive home the restaurant’s emphasis on spices and herbs, and an open-air setting allows diners to bask in the sounds and smells of the surrounding rainforest.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Others include copropraxia, or obscene gestures, and non-obscene but socially inappropriate tics, such as making kissing sounds, spitting or touching others.—
Rena Zito,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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Davidson has Tourette's with Coprolalia, which involves involuntary outbursts of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks, according to the Tourette Association of America.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Salinas was convicted in June 2007 of lewd or lascivious acts on a minor, according to the criminal complaint.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
28 Feb. 2026
-
In any other movie, Anna would be the main event, and Keough rises to the challenge with the most lascivious performance since Selma Blair as N-cup stripper Ursula Udders in John Waters’ A Dirty Shame.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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According to the criminal complaint, the victims told police that Meyers asked them to send nude photos or make pornographic videos.—
Ross Guidotti,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
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The employees also sent pornographic magazines with the husband’s name on them to a neighbor’s home and planned to break into the couple’s garage to install a GPS device on their car.—
Leah Willingham,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Also under pressure is Starmer’s former chief of staff Matthew Doyle, now Lord Doyle, appointed to the House of Lords despite his friendship with a man later jailed for possessing indecent images of children.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Morris, who founded Gateway in Southlake in 2000, was convicted on five counts of lewd and indecent conduct with a child and was sentenced to 10 years with all but six months suspended.—
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Wasserman rode on Epstein’s plane and exchanged suggestive messages with Maxwell, the files the DOJ released show.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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More disturbingly, some MAGA cultural warriors claimed to be disgusted by Bad Bunny’s suggestive dancing and called for his censorship, harking back to the 1950s, when emerging superstar Elvis Presley was shot by TV cameras from the waist up during his appearance at the Ed Sullivan show.—
Ediberto Roman,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prurient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prurient. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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