lascivious

adjective

las·​civ·​i·​ous lə-ˈsi-vē-əs How to pronounce lascivious (audio)
: filled with or showing sexual desire : lewd, lustful
lascivious acts/thoughts
arrested for lewd and lascivious assault
… crude and lascivious remarks …John Nichols
He is every woman's worst nightmare: the lascivious shark in a gold chain, loud sport shirt and polyester suit …Susan Schindehette et al.
lasciviously adverb
His show always began with Benny in a public park leering lasciviously at a bevy of young beauties … Gyles Brandreth
lasciviousness noun
… he satirized the contrived unions favored by upper society, exposing the greed, corruption, and lasciviousness with which they were permeated. Harvey Rachlin

Examples of lascivious in a Sentence

He was arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior. was criticized for making lascivious remarks that offended many in the group
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Footage from the early days of her rap aspirations show her mother, who was also her manager, coaching Megan on the right way to punctuate certain words in her rhymes and shooting ad hoc music videos from lascivious angles. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 31 Oct. 2024 Marcelino Olguin was the only one charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a child under 14. Izzy Alvarez, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2024 And so: after season upon season of naked dresses, heirloom lingerie—less lascivious, more utilitarian in design—is being mainstreamed. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2024 In word and action, the character remains quite lascivious, lusting after Lydia, Delia and more. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lascivious 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin lasciviosus, from Latin lascivia wantonness, from lascivus wanton — more at lust entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lascivious was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near lascivious

Cite this Entry

“Lascivious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lascivious. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

lascivious

adjective
las·​civ·​i·​ous lə-ˈsiv-ē-əs How to pronounce lascivious (audio)
lasciviously adverb
lasciviousness noun

Legal Definition

lascivious

adjective
las·​civ·​i·​ous lə-ˈsi-vē-əs How to pronounce lascivious (audio)
: reflecting or producing sexual desire or behavior especially that is considered indecent or obscene
lewd and lascivious behavior

More from Merriam-Webster on lascivious

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