as in passionate
having a strong sexual desire
a moralist who decried what she regarded as the licentious and corrupt culture of the entertainment industry
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Recent Examples of licentious
His strained, sandpaper-coarse timbre served as an ideal conduit for songs concerned with boisterous revelries, shady agreements, licentious intentions and musical pleasures.
—
Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
Whereas The Swimming-Pool Library transpires over one London summer — the last licentious gasp before AIDS— and The Line of Beauty spans the Thatcher era, Hollinghurst has lately been expanding his temporal horizons.
—Sam Worley, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2024
Woodhull’s inability to counter the caricature of her as evil and licentious doomed her campaign.
—Allison Lange / Made By History, TIME, 6 Aug. 2024
And finally, modern far-right terrorists still frequently invoke the same libelous assertion that white women must be protected from licentious Black men.
—TIME, 14 May 2024
With his passing Thursday morning at the age of 65, Variety looks at the most memorable moments of Shane MacGowan’s licentious legacy.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023
Freedom’s licentious behavior shocks many of her fellow villagers, who conclude that her bottle must have contained some powerful intoxicant.
—Salman Rushdie, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2023
Ahmed is referring to the era in Tangier's history, beginning in the interwar period and peaking in the 1950s, when the city served as a licentious playground for a motley assortment of artists, socialites, and hedonists.
—Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023
His diaries offered a ‘worldly, intelligent, licentious, highly indiscreet’ entree into elite gay and artistic circles.
—Tim Page, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2022
Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025
Whereas The Swimming-Pool Library transpires over one London summer — the last licentious gasp before AIDS— and The Line of Beauty spans the Thatcher era, Hollinghurst has lately been expanding his temporal horizons.
—Sam Worley, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2024
Woodhull’s inability to counter the caricature of her as evil and licentious doomed her campaign.
—Allison Lange / Made By History, TIME, 6 Aug. 2024
And finally, modern far-right terrorists still frequently invoke the same libelous assertion that white women must be protected from licentious Black men.
—TIME, 14 May 2024
With his passing Thursday morning at the age of 65, Variety looks at the most memorable moments of Shane MacGowan’s licentious legacy.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023
Freedom’s licentious behavior shocks many of her fellow villagers, who conclude that her bottle must have contained some powerful intoxicant.
—Salman Rushdie, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2023
Ahmed is referring to the era in Tangier's history, beginning in the interwar period and peaking in the 1950s, when the city served as a licentious playground for a motley assortment of artists, socialites, and hedonists.
—Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023
His diaries offered a ‘worldly, intelligent, licentious, highly indiscreet’ entree into elite gay and artistic circles.
—Tim Page, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licentious
Adjective
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Prince William is a passionate soccer fan and patron of the Football Association, soccer's governing body in England.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Some of the most passionate, high-performing people work more than 60 hours a week.—
Nirit Cohen,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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During a hot Thursday in Houston, Legette got the big-play party started against the Texans.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Aug. 2025
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Menu highlights include Bavarian pretzels, hot wings, pizza, burgers and lavish charcuterie boards.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Lopez has a conviction for lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 in Norwalk, California. 5.—
Brooke Taylor,
FOXNews.com,
25 July 2025
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Dance with a big, lascivious drag queen and post it.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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For parents worried about the elementary-school set being corrupted by the lustful goings-on at Love Island, the good news is that nearly all of the show’s kids’ viewership (424 million out of 474 million minutes streamed) was among the 12-and-up crowd.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
31 July 2025
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Who wouldn't want to experience love for the first time against the lustful backdrop of fictional Cousins Beach, an idyllic East Coast town, Walker said.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Licentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licentious. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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