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

Back then, the Tampa woman was charged with two counts of felony lewd or lascivious battery and five counts of felony lewd or lascivious molestation, according to the local TV station. —Pilar Arias, Fox News, 10 Apr. 2024

The controversial aspect of those perfumes, however, wasn’t their scents, but rather their overwhelming potencies or their lascivious advertising campaigns. —Cassidy George, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024

Opportunity knocks after a lascivious theatrical producer who made an inappropriate advance toward Madeleine turns up dead. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 1 Nov. 2023

Dudley was arrested on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, according to police. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024

Peck pleaded no contest to lewd and lascivious acts with a 14- or 15-year-old child and oral copulation with a minor under 16 in 2004. —Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 27 Mar. 2024

Teens and young adults shared personal stories of coming across frightening posts while scrolling social media, getting lascivious and predatory messages from strangers, and watching friends spiral into anxiety and depression made worse by time spent on the web. —Katie Shepherd, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024

Elijah Nathan Jean-Gilles, 20, was arrested Saturday by Miami police on charges of lewd and lascivious molestation as well as battery. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024

The suspect was arrested in the unincorporated community of Rescue in El Dorado County on Thursday and was booked into jail on suspicion of charges including two counts of lewd and lascivious with a child under 14 years old by force or fear, the Sheriff’s Office said. —Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2024

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

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