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
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On a late-September Friday night as warm as July, the Boston Red Sox kicked down the doors of October baseball for the first time since 2021, with a walk-off that will not be forgotten any time soon.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
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Set against a beige background, the blanket’s pattern features a warm yellow, sweet violet, and soft green.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Sep. 2025
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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Unlike other game-day snacks like chips or popcorn, where flavors and textures can get a little one-note after a while, ALDI’s Cajun Trail Mix keeps your taste buds entertained with different flavors—salty, sweet, and spicy—and different textures, too.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
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The sandwich options vary by protein, with choices including Spam, bacon, ham and spicy pork.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Banners or signs may not be commercial in nature or obscene, or cause any disturbance to other fans.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was docked $14,491 for making an obscene gesture after a big catch.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The Los Angeles Times reported in 1992 that Brimmer was charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious behavior with minor boys between the ages of 9 and 15 while serving as a pastor at the Jubilee Christian Center.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Jessica Guistolise, Megan Hurley and Molly Kelley talk with CNBC in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on July 11, 2025, about fake pornographic images and videos depicting their faces made by their mutual friend Ben using AI site DeepSwap.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The assaults, Quinn’s office said, included indecent touchings and rapes that occurred in the two South Coast communities.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
23 Sep. 2025
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Former Premier League referee David Coote has been charged with making an indecent image of a child.—
Ali Rampling,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Gorham, New Hampshire Snugly situated in the shadow of the rugged Presidential mountains, Gorham is one of the Granite State’s most suggestive spots – and autumn in New England is a wonderful time to experience the town’s kaleidoscope of changing leaves.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prurient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prurient. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
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