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

• bawdy
• blue
• coarse
• crude
• dirty
• filthy
• foul
• gross
• gutter
• impure
• indecent
• lewd
• locker-room
• nasty
• obscene
• pornographic
• porny
• profane
• raunchy
• ribald
• smutty
• stag
• trashy
• unprintable
• vulgar
• wanton
• X-rated

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

Norman Riemer, 54, was arrested on April 30 and is facing five counts of lewd or lascivious molestation against a victim under the age of 12. —Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2025

He was convicted of two counts of human trafficking and three counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with girls under 16. —Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 5 May 2025

In a humiliating audition for another lascivious Las Vegas revue, the 57-year-old character, a buxom blond dreamer, stands onstage before a sleazy producer (Jason Schwartzman) who cuts her performance short. —Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024

While the minor’s age was redacted in documents, she was arrested and charged with seven felony counts of lewd or lascivious behavior, specifically lewd or lascivious battery of a victim aged 12 to 16, according to jail records viewed by PEOPLE. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 1 May 2025

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