1
as in desire
sexual appetite
the Puritans did not condemn concupiscence but rather the satisfaction of it in ways they deemed illicit
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lustfulness
intense sexual desire
according to the church theologian St. Augustine, concupiscence is a consequence of original sin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of concupiscence
Gregory of Nyssa, contemplating the Christian horror of concupiscence, once theorized that had not Adam and Eve sinned, the two of them would have remained virgins and reproduced in whatever way angels did.
—
David Harsanyi, National Review, 8 June 2023
The depictions are disturbingly romantic: seminude invaders among smoldering monuments, preening with bloodlust and concupiscence.
—Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 9 June 2020
David Harsanyi, National Review, 8 June 2023
The depictions are disturbingly romantic: seminude invaders among smoldering monuments, preening with bloodlust and concupiscence.
—Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 9 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for concupiscence
Noun
-
The trend captures a kind of affordable opulence, a desire to evoke the elegance of wealth without its cost.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
-
His decision to make the move to college was in large part driven by a desire to test himself.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Brought together by filmmaker Saúl Alvídrez, these two radical elders share passion, politics, and wisdom.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
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Despite challenges, including a PED suspension that forced him to miss the entire 2021 season while with the Mets, Canó’s passion for the game remains undiminished.—
Denny Alfonso,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
These roles required an adult grasp of lust and jealousy and nihilism.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Louise Hémon The jury would also like to acknowledge a director whose film transported us into an extreme landscape, and created an unsettling atmosphere that kept us contemplating the nature of lust, education, and violence.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Concupiscence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/concupiscence. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
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