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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
And yet this prurient curiosity also threatened the delicate equilibrium between devout Mormonism and hot-mom content that the group’s women were attempting to maintain.
—Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2024
Traditionally, these sorts of pictures have allowed producers to peddle items of prurient interest under cover of edification, while maintaining an attitude of moral superiority that would have made little sense to the people the show is about.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2024
In the decades that followed, the media took a similarly prurient tack in its coverage of women’s competitive swimming.
—Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 21 June 2024
But beyond it, Morgan sketches a real Manhattan ruled by prurient and destructive masculine appetites, from subway tunnels occupied by ad hoc homeless communities to office towers where the city’s most powerful residents impose their wills on millions of fellow New Yorkers.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 31 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for prurient
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Prurient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prurient. Accessed 5 Oct. 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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