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

Count 6, lewd and lascivious conduct against a child under 16. — Nikiya Carrero, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

Prosecutors charged Cesar Cardoso, 53, with 13 offenses, including two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, which is punishable by up to life in prison. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026

Ramon was arrested July 9 and charged with lewd and lascivious acts with a minor for the allegations made by the first victim, for which he was released on $100,000 bail, prosecutors said. — Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 4 Sep. 2026

When Demetrius Carl Davis was arrested in April 2022, he was charged with 32 felony counts of committing a lewd or lascivious act with a child younger than 14 years old. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 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