lewd
Americanadjective
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inclined to, characterized by, or inciting to lust or lechery; lascivious.
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obscene or indecent, as language or songs; salacious.
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Obsolete.
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low, ignorant, or vulgar.
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base, vile, or wicked, especially of a person.
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bad, worthless, or poor, especially of a thing.
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adjective
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characterized by or intended to excite crude sexual desire; obscene
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obsolete
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wicked
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ignorant
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lewd
First recorded before 900; Middle English leud, lewed, Old English lǣwede “lay, unlearned”
Explanation
Lewd remarks are sexually inappropriate. Personal and sexually explicit comments might be acceptable when said in private, but they are not all right when said to strangers in public. Lewd has to do with sexual behavior or remarks that are highly inappropriate or obscene, often because of what's done or said is in public or to someone who does not want that kind of attention. The couple who might make sexually suggestive jokes in private with each other would be completely out of place doing the same thing in the supermarket. What's more, committing a lewd act or making inappropriate comments is socially — and legally — unacceptable, and it can even land the perpetrator in jail.
Vocabulary lists containing lewd
Novel Study: Hamlet, Acts 1–2
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Ophelia
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The Sun Also Rises
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By the next morning, Mr. Breitbart had published an account of the events on his blog, titled “Congressman Claims ‘Facebook Hacked’ as Lewd Photo Hits Twitter.”
From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2011
It is not for any wise man, to beleeve the tythe of the tales and slanders, which flie abroad of the zealous: Lewd men would fain strike at all goodnes through their sides.
From A Coal From The Altar, To Kindle The Holy Fire of Zeale In a Sermon Preached at a Generall Visitation at Ipswich by Ward, Samuel
Lewd losell! thou seest not far enough in this matter! for thou considerest not the great travail of pilgrims; therefore thou blamest that thing that is praisable!
From Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse by Various
Lewd losell! whereto makest thou such vain reasons to me?
From Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse by Various
Lewd meant belonging to the laity; it came to mean ignorant, and then morally reprehensible.
From The Century Vocabulary Builder by Bachelor, Joseph M. (Joseph Morris)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
