livid

/'livid/

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The word "livid" is an adjective that can have several meanings, but it is most commonly used to describe a strong emotional state or a physical appearance related to color.

Basic Meanings:

1. Furiously Angry: When someone is "livid," they are extremely angry. For example, if a person finds out that someone has lied to them, they might feel livid.

   • Example: "She was livid when she discovered that her colleague had taken credit for her work."

2. Discolored Skin: It can also describe a color, particularly when someone has bruises. If a person has been hurt, their skin might turn a dark color due to blood under the skin, making it look livid.

   • Example: "After the fall, his arm was livid with bruises."

3. Pale or Ashen Appearance: "Livid" can also describe a face that looks very pale, sometimes due to shock or illness.

   • Example: "His face went livid when he heard the bad news."

Advanced Usage:

• In literature, "livid" can be used to create vivid imagery. For instance, a character might have a "livid" expression to show deep emotional turmoil or distress.
• Example in Literature: "Her lips were livid with fear, highlighting her shock at the revelation."

Word Variants:

• Lividity (noun): The state of being livid, often used in medical contexts to describe discoloration of the skin.
• Lividness (noun): The quality of being livid, either in color or in emotional intensity.

Different Meanings:

• Livid (Light): It can describe a light that seems eerie or unnatural, giving a deathlike glow, as in the phrase "livid lightning."
• Example: "The sky was filled with livid flashes of lightning during the storm."

Synonyms:

• Angry: furious, irate, enraged.
• Discolored: bruised, darkened, blotchy.
• Pale: ashen, wan, white.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly associated with "livid," but you might hear phrases like "see red," which means to become very angry, similar to feeling livid.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "livid" to describe someone's emotional state when they are very angry or to describe skin that looks bruised or pale due to shock or illness.
• Be careful with context; make sure it’s clear whether you’re referring to anger or a physical appearance to avoid confusion.

Academic

Adjective

1. discolored by coagulation of blood beneath the skin
   • beaten black and blue
   • livid bruises
2. furiously angry
   • willful stupidity makes him absolutely livid
3. (of a light) imparting a deathlike luminosity
   • livid lightning streaked the sky
   • a thousand flambeaux...turned all at once that deep gloom into a livid and preternatural day- E.A.Poe
4. anemic looking from illness or emotion
   • a face turned ashen
   • the invalid's blanched cheeks
   • tried to speak with bloodless lips
   • a face livid with shock
   • lips...livid with the hue of death- Mary W. Shelley
   • lips white with terror
   • a face white with rage

Synonyms

• black-and-blue
• ashen
• blanched
• bloodless
• white