Word of the Day

: May 10, 2008

livid

adjective LIV-id

What It Means

1 : discolored by bruising : black-and-blue

2 : ashen, pallid

3 : reddish

4 : very angry : enraged

livid in Context

"When my mother caught me sneaking in after midnight, she was livid," Manny reported.

Did You Know?

"Livid" has a colorful history. The Latin adjective "lividus" means "dull, grayish, or leaden blue." From this came the French "livide" and eventually the English "livid," which was used to describe flesh discolored by a bruise when it was first recorded in the early 17th century. A slight extension of meaning gave it the sense "ashen or pallid," as used in describing a corpse. "Livid" eventually came to be used in this sense to characterize the complexion of a person pale with anger ("livid with rage"). From this meaning came two new senses in the 20th century. One was "reddish," as one is as likely to become red with anger as pale; the other was simply "angry" or "furious," the most common sense of the word today.