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prurient
adjective
pru·ri·ent
ˈpru̇r-ē-ənt
: marked by or arousing an immoderate or unwholesome interest or desire
especially
: marked by, arousing, or appealing to sexual desire
pruriently
adverb
Examples of prurient in a Sentence
He took a prurient interest in her personal life.
a book that appealed to the prurient curiosity of its readers
Recent Examples on the Web
That might also have had something to do with a male protagonist being less subject to the prurient aspects of Sorrentino’s gaze.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 May 2024
The common theme emerging from these politically conservative Marylanders is that Maryland public school librarians have nothing substantial to offer regarding the protection of young minds from prurient interests.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2024
But there was also a prurient little thrill to winning, no matter how undeserved.
—Krista Stevens, Longreads, 14 May 2024
The defense objected to prurient details as prejudicial, and Justice Juan Merchan scolded her at least twice, telling her to stick to the questions asked and not meander down verbal alleyways.
—Peter Grier, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 May 2024
Prison in Russia reopened old wounds, memories of her adolescent body as an object of fascination and prurient speculation.
—J Wortham January Lavoy Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 2 May 2024
Sure, adultery is one of rock and roll’s many prurient flavors alongside cocaine abuse and devil worship; Fleetwood Mac didn’t sell over 40 million copies of Rumours by honoring the Ten Commandments.
—Vulture, 20 Oct. 2023
The commanding ambassador and his captivating wife, Violet, quickly develop a prurient familiarity with Elodie.
—Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2023
Repeatedly, the documentary shows the young Brooke on TV talk shows, responding to prurient and judgmental questions with astonishing poise, grace and maturity.
—Rhonda Garelick, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prurient.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
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Cite this Entry
“Prurient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prurient. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
prurient
adjective
pru·ri·ent
ˈpru̇r-ē-ənt
: having or revealing indecent desires or thoughts
pruriently
adverb
Legal Definition
prurient
adjective
pru·ri·ent
ˈpru̇r-ē-ənt
: marked by or arousing an unwholesome sexual interest or desire
pruriently
adverb
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