carnal
Americanadjective
-
pertaining to or characterized by the flesh or the body, its passions and appetites; sensual.
carnal pleasures.
- Synonyms:
- concupiscent, libidinous, lascivious, lecherous, lustful, bodily
-
not spiritual; merely human; temporal; worldly.
a man of secular, rather carnal, leanings.
adjective
Related Words
Carnal, sensual, fleshly, animal all refer to bodily rather than rational or spiritual aspects of humans. Carnal, although it may refer to the body as opposed to the spirit, often refers to sexual needs or urges: carnal cravings, attractions, satisfactions. Sensual implies a suggestion of eroticism: sensual eyes; a sensual dance; it may also refer to experience of the senses: a sensual delight. Fleshly may refer to any physical need or appetite, sex as well as hunger and thirst: the fleshly sin of gluttony; fleshly yearnings. Animal refers to sexual appetites in a censorious way only; it may also describe pleasing or admirable physical characteristics or appearance: animal lust; to move with animal grace.
Other Word Forms
- carnalism noun
- carnalist noun
- carnality noun
- carnally adverb
- carnalness noun
- hypercarnal adjective
- hypercarnally adverb
Etymology
Origin of carnal
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin carnālis, equivalent to carn- (stem of carō ) “flesh” + -ālis -al 1
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.
He told me, “Hey carnal, I’m going to invite you to be on my album.”
From Los Angeles Times
But for all his uses of food as a source of carnal provocation and capitalist fracturing, Bong also allows food to be the root of love and community.
From Salon
In the programmed, crisply percussive track, shared with the male voice of Young Jonn, they sing about ecstasy enabled by permission: deeply carnal but ethical.
From New York Times
Sudan Archives — the songwriter, singer and violinist Brittney Denise Parks — juggles the many conflicting pressures and aspirations of being young, Black, female, artistic, carnal, career-minded and social on “Natural Brown Prom Queen.”
From New York Times
Sovjani, whose influences include Wayne Theibaud’s carnal cake and pie paintings, transforms everyday objects into lush exercises in color and form.
From Washington Post
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.
