turgid

adjective

tur·​gid ˈtər-jəd How to pronounce turgid (audio)
Synonyms of turgid
1
: excessively embellished in style or language : bombastic, pompous
turgid prose
2
: being in a state of distension : swollen, tumid
turgid limbs
especially : exhibiting turgor
turgidity
ˌtər-ˈji-də-tē How to pronounce turgid (audio)
noun
turgidly
ˈtər-jəd-lē How to pronounce turgid (audio)
adverb
turgidness noun

Synonyms of turgid

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of turgid in a Sentence

turgid leeches having had their fill of blood
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Like many disaster movies, this is a turgid soap opera that’s blown apart by chaos. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025 The water, in the turgid, late afternoon light, was gray and swift. — Literary Hub, 8 Aug. 2025 This was a turgid, joyless spectacle for both sets of fans, let alone neutrals watching on television. — Beren Cross, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026 This new singer recited turgid poetry over his new bandmates’ compositions, which erred towards brittle reggae and boogie. — Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for turgid

Word History

Etymology

Latin turgidus, from turgēre to be swollen

First Known Use

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of turgid was in 1620

Browse Nearby Words

turgescent
turgid
turgidly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Turgid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turgid. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

turgid

adjective
tur·​gid ˈtər-jəd How to pronounce turgid (audio)
1
: being in a swollen state
2
: exhibiting turgor
a turgid plant cell

Medical Definition

turgid

adjective
tur·​gid ˈtər-jəd How to pronounce turgid (audio)
: being in a normal or abnormal state of distension : swollen, tumid
turgid limbs
turgid living cells

More from Merriam-Webster on turgid

Nglish: Translation of turgid for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All