Make Your Point > Archived Issues > LURID

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connect today's word to others: Sometimes lurid means "red." Sometimes, "yellow." And sometimes it means "sickening, ghastly, shocking, grotesque." Why all the different meanings? Well, lurid comes from the Latin word for "the pale yellow color of bruises," so that explains the link between the meanings "yellow" and "sickening." "Red," though? It helps to know that lurid doesn't describe any red thing--it describes things that flash red in the dark, things that shine with a reddish glow. According to Douglas Harper at EtymOnline.com, lurid conveys "the interplay of light and darkness...a combination of light and gloom." Light and gloom. Red and yellow. What a rich word, lurid. Let's recall some other rich words that touch on those four concepts. 1. Light:    Something la___nt is softly bright, flickering, glowing gently. 2. Gloom:    Something cal____ous is dark, misty, murky, dimly seen or dimly understood. 3. Red:    Something fl___d is a healthy rosy red, fancy, flashy, showy. 4. Yellow:    Something s___ is in the yellow leaf of life, dried-up, withered. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "LURID" Lurid things are    a sickly pale color, especially yellow;    OR shiny and bright (especially red) against the darkness;    OR gruesome in a shocking, sensational way. Pronunciation: LURE id. You can say the first syllable as "lyure" or "loor." How do you prefer to say the word "lure"? Just stick with that. :) Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a lurid thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was lurid.") Other forms: luridly, luridness How to use it: "Lurid" has a creepy, negative tone. So, you might use it to describe the glow of a wild animal's eyes in the distance, but you wouldn't use it to describe Rudolph's nose or your kid's fabulous light-up sneakers. Here's a list of concrete things we often call lurid:    colors;    light;    a glare;    a glow;    a tinge;    flames and fires;     reflections;    faces and expressions;    eyes, skin, and hair;    and ice, snow, rain, and bodies of water. And to get more abstract, we talk about lurid details, stories, accounts, descriptions, etc. examples: Along the Vegas strip, even the CVS sign glitters luridly. Dozens of women have spoken out about his harassment and abuse, accusations which he dismisses as lurid fabrications. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "lurid" means when you can explain it without saying "ghastly" or "vivid." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "_____ casts a lurid (glow or glare) on _____." Literal example: "The moon casts a lurid glow on each white hermit crab." Figurative example: "Her voice, alternating between bright and sullen, casts a lurid glare on each track." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing "Game of Games!" Guess the one-word title of each board game, using your knowledge of vocabulary. From our previous issue:  Designed by Max J. Kobbert, this game sends players on a treasure hunt in a maze-like structure with shifting rows of tiles. The title means "something complicated, confusing, and tough to navigate that reminds you of a complex set of paths or passages." It's pictured below, with the title blurred out. What game is this? Answer: Labyrinth. Check out the game here and the word here. Try this today:  Designed by J. Alex Kevern, this game has players building and programming robots. The title means "thinking, feeling and alive, or more generally, aware of things or paying close attention to things." It's pictured below, with the title blurred out. What game is this? review today's word: 1. A close opposite of LURID is A. FRESH. B. INNOCUOUS. C. OVERWRITTEN. 2. Giving the movie its lurid tinge were _____. A. the ingénue's broad smile and confident poise B. the rumors that the supernatural events it portrays had truly happened C. the preteens who spent their allowance going to see it over and over Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B