prurient

adjective

Definition of prurientnext
as in warm
formal + usually disapproving having or showing too much interest in sex He took a prurient interest in their personal life. a book that appealed to the prurient curiosity of its readers

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of prurient Space exploration is a symbol of science at its most sophisticated, but the subject has always elicited a few prurient chuckles among civilians about what day-to-day life must really be like for the astronauts. — Michael Tedder, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2026 Once printed, less prurient versions of these portraits would be displayed below the marquee at the Teatro Maipo, like religious icons in a vending machine, on the street-level exterior of the venue. — Bryan Barcena, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026 The result was a niche-celebrity soap opera, generating an explosion of publicity and social-media commentary and mesmerizing a public whose interest, whether prurient or high-minded, appeared inexhaustible. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2025 The desire to know the answer to those questions is not a matter of prurient nosiness. — Mick Lasalle, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Feb. 2024 See All Example Sentences for prurient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prurient
  1. warm
  2. unpublishable
  3. spicy
  4. obscene
  5. lascivious
  6. pornographic
  7. indecent
  8. suggestive
Adjective
  • With increasingly warm summers, many brands are also introducing additional April deliveries focused on true high-summer product.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Designed by notable furniture and interior designer Yabu Pushelberg (whose projects also include JW Marriott Hotel Tokyo), rooms are awash in warm gray tones and feature upholstered linen beds.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of warm
Adjective
  • There are taboo subjects that would be unpublishable in other genres, but that are actually hallmarks of gothic horror.
    — Josh Rivera, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Which was a fun mid-century technique to render a pic unpublishable.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 22 Aug. 2025
Definition of unpublishable
Adjective
  • The resulting meatballs were moist, herby, spiced, seasoned, spicy and just a joy to eat.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Braeburns have pronounced sweetness balanced by tartness, and their flavor becomes richer, almost spicy, in the oven.
    — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of spicy
Adjective
  • Another bemoaned the amount of money spent on Marsh’s NIL deal, using similar obscene language.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The disingenuous campaign ads, the obscene amount of money that is spent to air them and the promises that are rarely fulfilled are enough to make one cynical.
    — Cal Thomas, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of obscene
Adjective
  • Caruso has been charged with kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse inflicting mental injury.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Count 6, lewd and lascivious conduct against a child under 16.
    — Nikiya Carrero, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of lascivious
Adjective
  • On the day of the $50 million demand, a WeChat chat on one of her phones shows pornographic images arriving and being sent back with Victim-1’s face grafted on, the complaint says.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The filing follows a separate legal battle launched by Meloni in 2024 against a man accused of creating and posting deepfake pornographic images using her likeness.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of pornographic
Adjective
  • He has been charged with murder, two counts of indecent behavior involving a minor, and concealing a corpse.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • There Lizzie threw parties for the actress Nance O’Neil and her theater company, which Emma thought were indecent.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of indecent
Adjective
  • The effect dissipates somewhat whenever Cahyono resorts to less suggestive, more blatantly surreal imagery.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Though revealing, his version of naked dressing was tantalizingly suggestive rather than explicitly bare.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of suggestive

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Cite this Entry

“Prurient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prurient. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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