lurid
lurid Lexical Profile
lurid Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Presented in vividly shocking, explicit, or sensational terms, especially to provoke macabre interest or scandal.
"The tabloid newspaper was criticized for publishing lurid details about the celebrity's private life."
Unpleasantly bright, glaring, or unnatural in color, especially so as to create a harsh or fiery effect.
"The storm clouds were illuminated by a lurid orange glow as the sun set behind the factory."
Ghastly, wan, or sallow in appearance (archaic or literary).
"In the dim candlelight, the patient's lurid complexion alarmed the attending physician."
• Rhymes for lurid
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from Latin luridus, meaning 'pale yellow, sallow, or ghastly,' originally used to describe the wan complexion of the sick or dead before shifting to mean 'glowing through a haze' and later 'sensational.'