1
as in obscene
depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society
bystanders were shocked by the lewd behavior of the couple in the park
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in passionate
having a strong sexual desire
a lewd 18th-century nobleman who left behind hundreds of erotic love letters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in suggestive
hinting at or intended to call to mind matters regarded as indecent
a nearby diner kept telling lewd jokes until we told him to shut up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lewd
Along with the first-degree murder charge, which includes special circumstances of lying in wait, committing the crime for financial gain and murdering the witness in an investigation, Burke was also charged with lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14 and mutilating a body.
—
Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
After a monthslong investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Burke, 21, was arrested last week and charged this week with capital murder, lewd or lascivious acts with a minor, and mutilation of human remains.
—Nathaniel Percy, Daily News, 22 Apr. 2026
The University of Michigan has hired the New York law firm Patterson Belknap to investigate allegations that Regent Jordan Acker sent lewd text messages about a Democratic strategist and a female U-M student, which included her picture.
—John Wisely, Freep.com, 22 Apr. 2026
The father told police that Joseph confessed, at which time the investigation began that resulted in him being charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lewd
Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
After a monthslong investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Burke, 21, was arrested last week and charged this week with capital murder, lewd or lascivious acts with a minor, and mutilation of human remains.
—Nathaniel Percy, Daily News, 22 Apr. 2026
The University of Michigan has hired the New York law firm Patterson Belknap to investigate allegations that Regent Jordan Acker sent lewd text messages about a Democratic strategist and a female U-M student, which included her picture.
—John Wisely, Freep.com, 22 Apr. 2026
The father told police that Joseph confessed, at which time the investigation began that resulted in him being charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lewd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lewd
Adjective
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For instance, the ruling recognized that the government’s need to protect national security might require it to prevent publication of the number and location of troops and that the primary requirements of decency might require censorship of obscene publications.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 Apr. 2026
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Bounds said this gives the mayor the power to intervene when a member of the public engages in obscene speech or in speech intended to incite others in the room.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Savannah is so passionate about the game.—
Tony Baranek,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Feelings of affection will become passionate.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Proofs are littered with suggestive ellipses.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
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Researchers also found highly suggestive evidence that eating more ultraprocessed foods raised the risk of obesity by 55%, sleep disorders by 41%, development of type 2 diabetes by 40% and the risk of depression by 20%.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Swift’s likeness has been used without permission in numerous AI fakes, including by Meta’s AI chatbots and in pornographic images that have circulated on the internet.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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This material included thousands of pornographic deepfakes that Kamnik had generated using AI tools.—
Nate Anderson,
ArsTechnica,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Provide afternoon shade for asters grown in hot climates.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
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As a result, the wide, shallow bay, with its lacework of shoals and basins, grows hot and hypersaline, killing seagrass, fueling algae blooms and hurting the economy of the Keys.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The company makes pickles in flavors such as hot, half-sour and sweet and spicy.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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It’s finished in a spicy-sweet sauce that would make a rubber tire taste good.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The word was considered so vulgar that it was left out of early dictionaries and was rarely printed, though Adams says people were certainly using it.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
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One day, Dahlstrom made a vulgar joke in a lunchroom referencing oral sex and pubic hair, according to the employee.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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One man, Carlos Portillo-Nunez of El Salvador, was previously convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child in Indio, California, according to DHS.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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Along with the first-degree murder charge, which includes special circumstances of lying in wait, committing the crime for financial gain and murdering the witness in an investigation, Burke was also charged with lewd and lascivious acts with an individual under 14 and mutilating a body.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lewd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lewd. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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