lascivious

adjective

las·​civ·​i·​ous lə-ˈsi-vē-əs 

: 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

Synonyms of lascivious

• pornographic
• obscene
• vulgar
• nasty
• foul
• filthy
• dirty
• suggestive

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

The couple is back together in Arkansas after Joseph was released from custody on a $600,000 bond in Florida where he is charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior. —Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026

Duggar was initially charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026

The third oldest of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar’s 10 sons — the family also includes nine daughters — was charged upon arrest with lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim under 12 and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person over 18. —Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026

Joseph was first arrested on March 18 on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim less than 12 years old and lewd and lascivious behavior conducted by a person 18 years or older. —Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Apr. 2026

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

Rhymes for lascivious

• oblivious

Kids Definition

lascivious

adjective

las·​civ·​i·​ous lə-ˈsiv-ē-əs 

: lewd sense 1, lustful

lasciviously adverb

lasciviousness noun

Legal Definition

lascivious

adjective

las·​civ·​i·​ous lə-ˈsi-vē-əs 

: reflecting or producing sexual desire or behavior especially that is considered indecent or obscene

lewd and lascivious behavior