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 Matthew Antonio Zakrzewski, 34, who worked for multiple families across Southern California, was convicted of 34 felonies, including 27 counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14, according to a press release from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023 He was initially charged with three felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14, one felony count of oral copulation of a child under 10 and one felony count of possession of child pornography, according to the district attorney's office. Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 19 Nov. 2023 The brother-in-law of former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, a Democrat, has been arrested in Florida on charges of human trafficking, battery and lewd or lascivious touching of a minor, according to the Office of the State Attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit. Brandon Gillespie, Fox News, 18 Nov. 2023 After the encounter, Frost allegedly sent two more lascivious photos and then blocked him from Snapchat. Rebecca Rosenberg, Fox News, 7 Sep. 2023 Matthew Antonio Zakrzewski, who worked for families across Southern California, was arrested in May 2019 and later charged with 34 felonies including lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 4 Oct. 2023 He is being held in county jail in lieu of $100,000 bail on four counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a 15-year-old child, according to jail records. Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Aug. 2023 Nicholas Piazza, 20, faces eight years in state prison following his pleas to a felony count of a lewd or lascivious act against a minor under the age of 14 and two misdemeanor counts of annoying or molesting a child. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Aug. 2023 Sablan was transported to the Long Beach City Jail, where he was booked for kidnapping, lewd and lascivious acts with a child, and fugitive from justice. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 21 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lascivious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 2 Dec. 2023.

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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