lurid
/ˈlʊɹɪd/adjective
lurid is spelled L-U-R-I-D: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,267th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, lurid means “Pruriently detailed and sensationalistic about something shocking or horrifying, especially with regard to violence or sex” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in lurid?
| Letters | 5: L-U-R-I-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 40,267th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is lurid?
Lurid appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,267th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce lurid?
- UK /ˈl(j)ʊə.ɹɪd/
- UK /ˈlɔːɹɪd/
- US /ˈlʊɹɪd/
Lurid has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-lurid.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of lurid
- more lurid comparative
- most lurid superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does lurid mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Pruriently detailed and sensationalistic about something shocking or horrifying, especially with regard to violence or sex.
The accident was described with lurid detail.
- 2
Melodramatic.
- 3
Ghastly, pale, wan in appearance.
- 4
Being of a light yellow hue.
The lurid lighting of the bar made for a very hazy atmosphere.
- 5
Having a brown colour tinged with red.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Lurid in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | choquant , blafard, livide, blême , jaunâtre |
| German | widerlich , grell |
| Portuguese | espantoso , lúrido |
| Spanish | espantoso, chocante , pálido, lívido |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does lurid come from?
Borrowed from Latin lūridus (“pale yellow, wan”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).