Definition: Lurid is a descriptive term used to express that something is grotesquely sensational or horrifying. Something that is gruesome or shocking. It also can refer to something pale, wan or overwhelming. Sometimes it refers to something that is bright, garish or overpowering.

Something that is glaringly vivid or shocking, having intensity, fiercely passionate, or unrestrained. Describing something shiny with a fiery glow; garishly bright red

Etymology: The origin of the word Lurid goes back to the 1650s and originates from the Latin word lurdis, meaning “ghastly, pale or the color of bruises.”

Lurid is often associated with the details in reports of bad or upsetting news.

In a Sentence

The officer’s accident report spared the family of all the lurid details.

The cashier at the Halloween store was pale as a ghost, adding to the spookily lurid atmosphere.