Lurid

Lurid describes something that is shocking, sensational, and often gruesome or exaggerated. It typically evokes a sense of intense and often deliberately shocking detail, particularly concerning crime, sex, or violence. This implies a focus on the macabre, the salacious, or the intensely dramatic, frequently designed to provoke a strong emotional response, often one of fear, disgust, or morbid fascination. The word can also describe excessive or flamboyant use of color or style, particularly in art or literature, to achieve a similar effect, but typically with a focus on being jarring or vulgar to emphasize drama or emotional intensity. It suggests a blatant disregard for subtlety and a reliance on the extreme.

Lurid meaning with examples

• The tabloid headlines were filled with Lurid details of the celebrity scandal, exploiting every piece of gossip for maximum shock value. The media used the incident to try and get a few extra clicks, and it worked. Most people knew the details, but they could not look away.
• The detective was haunted by the Lurid crime scene, remembering every gruesome detail as he tried to close the case. The details played in his head over and over until the perpetrator was found.
• The novel's graphic descriptions of violence and sexual acts, considered by some to be too Lurid, attracted a wide audience who enjoyed the taboo, while others found it tasteless and offensive.
• The artist's work was known for its Lurid colors and exaggerated figures, creating a surreal and disturbing aesthetic that was intended to provoke a reaction from the art critic.
• Despite the warnings, the audience was drawn to the Lurid reality TV show, reveling in the dramatic confrontations and sensationalized personal stories of the stars.