1
a
: causing horror or revulsion : gruesome
The tabloids gave all the lurid details of floating wreckage and dismembered bodies.
b
2
a
: wan and ghastly pale in appearance
frightened to death by the lurid waxworks—
Sara H. Hay
Sara H. Hay
b
: of any of several light or medium grayish colors ranging in hue from yellow to orange
3
: shining with the red glow of fire seen through smoke or cloud
lurid flames
luridly
adverb
luridness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of lurid in a Sentence
a lurid tale of violence and betrayal
the lurid lighting of a nightclub
The light from the fire cast a lurid glow on everything.
Recent Examples on the Web
The film instead evolves into a lurid knockoff of an early Coen-brothers work, something like Blood Simple with tablets.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2025
The news feeds occasionally cut to the boisterous arena, lit in lurid blood-red, as if showing MAGA’s id and superego in split screen.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025
Hunter Biden subsequently entered a surprise guilty plea last September to federal tax charges, averting a trial that would have showcased potentially lurid evidence on top of the salacious and unflattering details about his personal life aired during his earlier trial in Delaware.
—Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
But melodramatic fantasies about the end can also serve as a kind of lurid distraction from some of the more persistent problems at hand.
—Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for lurid 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
David Sims, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2025
The news feeds occasionally cut to the boisterous arena, lit in lurid blood-red, as if showing MAGA’s id and superego in split screen.
—James Poniewozik, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025
Hunter Biden subsequently entered a surprise guilty plea last September to federal tax charges, averting a trial that would have showcased potentially lurid evidence on top of the salacious and unflattering details about his personal life aired during his earlier trial in Delaware.
—Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
But melodramatic fantasies about the end can also serve as a kind of lurid distraction from some of the more persistent problems at hand.
—Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for lurid
Dictionary Entries Near lurid
Cite this Entry
“Lurid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lurid. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lurid
adjective
lu·rid
ˈlu̇r-əd 
1
a
: causing horror or disgust : gruesome
lurid tales of murder
b
: sensational sense 2
lurid book covers
2
: lifelessly pale : wan
3
: shining with the red glow of fire seen through smoke
luridly
adverb
luridness
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share