as in passionate
having a strong sexual desire
a moralist who decried what she regarded as the licentious and corrupt culture of the entertainment industry
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Recent Examples of licentious
Indeed, Black women have historically been viewed by whites as unclean and licentious and therefore undeserving of protection.
—
Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
His strained, sandpaper-coarse timbre served as an ideal conduit for songs concerned with boisterous revelries, shady agreements, licentious intentions and musical pleasures.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
Whereas The Swimming-Pool Library transpires over one London summer — the last licentious gasp before AIDS— and The Line of Beauty spans the Thatcher era, Hollinghurst has lately been expanding his temporal horizons.
—Sam Worley, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2024
Woodhull’s inability to counter the caricature of her as evil and licentious doomed her campaign.
—Allison Lange / Made By History, TIME, 6 Aug. 2024
With his passing Thursday morning at the age of 65, Variety looks at the most memorable moments of Shane MacGowan’s licentious legacy.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023
Freedom’s licentious behavior shocks many of her fellow villagers, who conclude that her bottle must have contained some powerful intoxicant.
—Salman Rushdie, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2023
Ahmed is referring to the era in Tangier's history, beginning in the interwar period and peaking in the 1950s, when the city served as a licentious playground for a motley assortment of artists, socialites, and hedonists.
—Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023
Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2025
His strained, sandpaper-coarse timbre served as an ideal conduit for songs concerned with boisterous revelries, shady agreements, licentious intentions and musical pleasures.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
Whereas The Swimming-Pool Library transpires over one London summer — the last licentious gasp before AIDS— and The Line of Beauty spans the Thatcher era, Hollinghurst has lately been expanding his temporal horizons.
—Sam Worley, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2024
Woodhull’s inability to counter the caricature of her as evil and licentious doomed her campaign.
—Allison Lange / Made By History, TIME, 6 Aug. 2024
With his passing Thursday morning at the age of 65, Variety looks at the most memorable moments of Shane MacGowan’s licentious legacy.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023
Freedom’s licentious behavior shocks many of her fellow villagers, who conclude that her bottle must have contained some powerful intoxicant.
—Salman Rushdie, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2023
Ahmed is referring to the era in Tangier's history, beginning in the interwar period and peaking in the 1950s, when the city served as a licentious playground for a motley assortment of artists, socialites, and hedonists.
—Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licentious
Adjective
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While traditional agencies mainly focus on commission structures, Iftiu built his organization around leadership development and recruiting salespeople who are passionate about putting clients first.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Kaif Shaikh Kaif Shaikh is a journalist and writer passionate about turning complex information into clear, impactful stories.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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With the debates coming later this month, the campaign water is set to get hotter.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Sep. 2025
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Significantly diseased leaves should be raked and removed from the area and disposed of properly, such as by burying, burning where allowed, or hot composting, according to UW-Madison.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Bagci remains held without bail on four felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child younger than 14 by force or fear, the Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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The six-person jury, made up of five men and one woman, convicted Ramos-Aviles of three of seven lewd and lascivious molestation charges for each of the three victims.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There is nothing quite so sluttish, apparently, as a lustful pistil.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
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He’s got a strong, if not particularly nuanced, voice that served him well over the lustful screams from the audience, which was heavy on young women and families.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
23 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Licentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licentious. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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