lascivious

adjective

lə-ˈsi-vē-əs How to pronounce lascivious (audio)
Definition of lasciviousnext
1
as in pornographic
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society was criticized for making lascivious remarks that offended many in the group

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in passionate
having a strong sexual desire an exposé about the lascivious playboy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of lascivious The 64-year-old Fort Bragg man was arrested on suspicion of committing lewd or lascivious acts with a child younger than 14, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Anthony Joseph Ramon, 25, of Gilroy, was first arrested on July 9 and charged with committing lewd and lascivious acts on a minor, according to the Morgan Hill Police Department. — Jason Green, Mercury News, 30 July 2026 Duggar entered a not guilty plea back in March at his first court appearance after being charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior. — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026 Twenty-one-year-old Burke has been charged with the first-degree murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, as well as lewd and lascivious acts with a 13-year-old, and mutilation of human remains. — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for lascivious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lascivious
  1. pornographic
  2. passionate
  3. obscene
  4. hot
  5. vulgar
  6. lustful
  7. nasty
  8. libidinous
Adjective
  • The sheriff’s office said Ahlers had hundreds, and possibly thousands, of pornographic photos and videos of children on his hard drive.
    — Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The employees also sent pornographic magazines with David Steiner’s name to a neighbor’s home and planned to install a GPS device on the couple’s car.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of pornographic
Adjective
  • Over the last six months of development, Carla has certainly proved to be a passionate writer and producer.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Three decades removed, Westwood is still a cinematic ghost town that passionate film lovers are trying to revive.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of passionate
Adjective
  • The Tarrant County decorum policy prohibits personal attacks, impertinent, profane, obscene, or slanderous remarks as well as threatening, disruptive or unruly behavior.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Starks said the obscene gesture was meant as a joke to teammates.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of obscene
Adjective
  • As seen above, even a hot pink top welcomes a playful edge to a classic plaid midi-skirt and chunky boots.
    — India Roby, Glamour, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In May, officials in Kern County alone also reported a 42% loss in cherry production this year due to a hot stretch in March followed by April rain accounting for a total loss of more than $13 million for growers.
    — Jonathan Destler, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hot
Adjective
  • But the school’s dress code prohibits messages that are lewd, indecent, vulgar or profane.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Lonnie is loud, obnoxious, and vulgar in ways that rankle traditional golfers.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • Robert also identifies the lustful subtext of Bret’s fixation on Robert and Susan together.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In March, the Miami Herald also joined Welty and the Croc Docs on a trip deep in the interior of the northern Everglades to track down lustful male pythons.
    — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Definition of lustful
Adjective
  • Minneola City Councilman David Yeager’s efforts to annex his new home into the city earlier this summer sparked a nasty debate on the council that led to two members being censured last week for incivility.
    — James Wilkins, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Working with a nasty four-pitch mix, Bradley struck out six over four innings before achieving the feat in the fifth.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of nasty
Adjective
  • La Nueva Violencia is a smirking, libidinous play for the dance floor, picking up where the distorted guitars of the last record left off and channeling each new riff into sleazy post-punk and electroclash that stick to the body like sweaty velvet.
    — Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The 10-minute score, with begins with a virtuosic timpani solo, is meant to evoke the libidinous atmosphere in Mexico City dance clubs in the 1980s.
    — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Definition of libidinous

Browse Nearby Words

larvae
lascivious
lasciviously
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lascivious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lascivious. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
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
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All