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
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
And yet this prurient curiosity also threatened the delicate equilibrium between devout Mormonism and hot-mom content that the group’s women were attempting to maintain.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2024
Traditionally, these sorts of pictures have allowed producers to peddle items of prurient interest under cover of edification, while maintaining an attitude of moral superiority that would have made little sense to the people the show is about.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for prurient
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
And yet this prurient curiosity also threatened the delicate equilibrium between devout Mormonism and hot-mom content that the group’s women were attempting to maintain.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2024
Traditionally, these sorts of pictures have allowed producers to peddle items of prurient interest under cover of edification, while maintaining an attitude of moral superiority that would have made little sense to the people the show is about.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for prurient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prurient
Adjective
-
Carry a windshield scraper, jumper cables, a small shovel, flashlight, cell phone, blanket and additional warm clothing, drinking water, and high-calorie non-perishable food.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The Farmers Almanac also predicts another easy travel week over in the Appalachians, which will see cold weather in the north and warm weather further south.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
The staff is brisk, used to locals ordering with a shorthand as precise as Philly cheesesteak lingo, and the souvlaki itself is unlike anywhere else in Athens—simple, spicy, smoky, and closer to kebab than the standard style.—
Katherine Whittaker,
Saveur,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Evans asked him to detail why, but Doncic, who was suffering from the heat of the spicy wings, just repeated the song’s title.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This culture is incredibly cruel, and things have gotten really obscene.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
-
In 2009, former Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams was fined $250,000 for making an obscene gesture toward a Buffalo Bills fan.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Herald and other outlets wrote extensively about Doherty’s allegations until he was sentenced to 15 years behind bars in 2013 after pleading no contest to six counts of lewd and lascivious acts upon a child.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Among those arrested was Walther Ramiro Hernandez-Ortiz, an 18-year-old from Honduras, who faces charges including lewd and lascivious behavior, battery, and molestation of a victim under 12 years old, according to ICE.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Some states have instituted requirements for websites with adult or pornographic content to verify visitors' age before granting access, although tech experts have pointed out VPNs can be used to get around those guardrails.—
Arpan Lobo,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
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Like its more famous cousin from Willendorf, the depicted woman looks less like a person than like a pornographic composite of breasts, hips, and labia.—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Still, the Catholic Legion of Decency and other morality groups would criticize the scene as indecent.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
-
The duo was charged with performing an indecent act in a public place.—
Michael Nied,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The department’s content warnings include mild romantic situations and notions of matchmaking, gentle social satire, occasional passive-aggressive dialogue and very mild suggestive themes (but nothing explicit).—
Eric E. Harrison,
Arkansas Online,
1 Oct. 2025
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This result is suggestive but not conclusive, as it was based on modeling and not direct measurements.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prurient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prurient. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
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