as in swollen
enlarged beyond normal from internal pressure
turgid leeches having had their fill of blood
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Recent Examples of turgid
This new singer recited turgid poetry over his new bandmates’ compositions, which erred towards brittle reggae and boogie.
—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
Avery, the heroine of Anika Jade Levy’s debut novel, Flat Earth (Catapult, $26), spends many turgid nights with a pedant.
—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
23 Nov. 2025
Like many disaster movies, this is a turgid soap opera that’s blown apart by chaos.
—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
The water, in the turgid, late afternoon light, was gray and swift.
—
Literary Hub,
8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turgid
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
Avery, the heroine of Anika Jade Levy’s debut novel, Flat Earth (Catapult, $26), spends many turgid nights with a pedant.
—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
23 Nov. 2025
Like many disaster movies, this is a turgid soap opera that’s blown apart by chaos.
—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
The water, in the turgid, late afternoon light, was gray and swift.
—
Literary Hub,
8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for turgid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turgid
swollen
Adjective
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When fluid pools in tissue instead of draining, the results can include facial puffiness, swollen limbs, bloating and a general heavy or fatigued feeling.
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Most people who are infected with West Nile virus will not develop symptoms, but those who do may experience a mild form of the illness, which can include fever, headache, body aches, swollen lymph glands or a rash, according to the IDOH.
Cite this Entry
“Turgid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turgid. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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