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
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
Living in a New York City doorman apartment, wearing clothes with subtle, correct labels, cutting out carbs and sugar in an effort to asexualize my licentious figure—check, check, and check.
—Jessica Knoll, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2022
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
Living in a New York City doorman apartment, wearing clothes with subtle, correct labels, cutting out carbs and sugar in an effort to asexualize my licentious figure—check, check, and check.
—Jessica Knoll, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licentious
Adjective
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Barman is passionate about removing friction in the DIY process.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
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Leaders who are passionate about their work inspire their teams to share that enthusiasm.—
Edward DeAngelis,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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South Florida: While the region is expected to experience another hot and dry day besides a few stray late afternoon showers, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. April 29.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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In cities that have an uneven distribution of foliage, neighborhoods featuring more greenery can offer a relative cooling effect, enabling residents to better withstand dangerously hot summers.—
Henna Hundal,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Nathaniel Ray Diaz, of Greenfield, was convicted in September 2023 of committing lewd and lascivious acts against a minor under 14 and criminal threats after he was accused of harming the girl, who was 12 at the time, court documents say.—
Julia Marnin,
Sacbee.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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Eden was put on administrative leave and charged with felony lewd offense against a student by an authority figure, felony lewd and lascivious touching of a minor, and misdemeanor voyeurism, the sheriff’s office said.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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One of my obsessions is the hip-hop love song, and how the exaggerated, theatrical, and lustful nature of the genre makes for some of the realest and funniest depictions of catching feelings.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2025
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Sensuous food and French food in particular, retained its association with lustful appetites throughout the 1960s.—
Rachel Hope Cleves / Made by History,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Licentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licentious. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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