livid

adjective

liv·id ˈli-vəd

Synonyms of livid next

: discolored by bruising : black-and-blue

the livid traces of the sharp scourges—

Abraham Cowley

: ashen, pallid

this cross, thy livid face, thy pierced hands and feet—

Walt Whitman

: reddish

a fan of gladiolas blushed livid under the electric letters—

Truman Capote

: very angry : enraged

was livid at his son's disobedience

lividness

ˈli-vəd-nəs

noun

Did you know?

Livid has a colorful history. The Latin adjective lividus means "dull, grayish, or leaden blue." From this came the French livide, which English borrowed as livid. The word can describe flesh discolored by a bruise or an appearance deficient in color. Eventually, it came to be used for the complexion of a person pale with anger (i.e., "a person livid with rage"). From this meaning came two new senses: "reddish," as one is as likely to become red with anger as pale; the other was simply "angry" or "furious."

Example Sentences

the boss was livid when yet another deadline was missed her face was livid with fear

Recent Examples on the Web The decision didn't sit well with Carson, who was livid that Rivers hadn't consulted him and would be competing against him. —

Nancy Mattia, Peoplemag, 7 June 2023 The union is livid that teams like the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates keep stuffing revenue sharing money into their coffers without any measurable improvement toward putting a competitive product on the field. —

Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2021 One of the most livid was actress Mimi Rogers, who stands ready to lead the charge against the utility. —

Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2023 Meanwhile, the gunman who killed 10 people in a racist shooting in Buffalo was sentenced to life in prison, and activists are livid about the appearance at a Congressional hearing of a Border Patrol union leader who has pushed a racist conspiracy theory. —

Will Carless, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2023 Even as the Gettr deal loomed, the Trump Media co-founders faced troubles on another front, from Trump’s family members and business associates, who were livid over the original services agreement and argued that Trump had given away too much, Wilkerson said. —

Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2022 Pappas competed the no-hitter against the Padres but was livid over a call by plate umpire Bruce Froemming that denied him the perfect game. —

Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2023 Best in the city:Meet 15 of the top boys basketball prospects suiting up for Louisville-area schools Butler coach Kevin Geary was livid after the intentional-foul call. —

Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 4 Mar. 2023 France was livid about the submarine deal, which was designed to bolster Australian efforts to keep tabs on China’s military in the Pacific but undercuts a deal worth at least $66 billion for a fleet of a dozen submarines built by a French contractor. —

Aamer Madhani, ajc, 20 Sep. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'livid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.