lascivious
Americanadjective
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inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd.
a lascivious, girl-chasing old man.
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arousing sexual desire.
lascivious photographs.
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indicating sexual interest or expressive of lust or lewdness.
a lascivious gesture.
adjective
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lustful; lecherous
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exciting sexual desire
Other Word Forms
- lasciviously adverb
- lasciviousness noun
- overlascivious adjective
- overlasciviously adverb
Etymology
Origin of lascivious
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin lascīvi(a) “playfulness, wantonness” ( lascīv(us) “playful, wanton” + -ia noun suffix) + -ous; -ia
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.
But it strikes a false and pandering note, since Tartuffe, as in Molière, has been plainly exposed as an opportunistic, lascivious fraud—and the only one in the play.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025
The law forbids shipment of every "obscene, lewd, lascivious, indecent, filthy or vile article, matter, thing, device, or substance."
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2024
The Comstock Act, championed by anti-vice crusader Anthony Comstock and passed in 1873, made it a federal crime to send or receive any material deemed "obscene, lewd or lascivious".
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2024
As for another modern-day collection of their favorite old blues numbers, Richards uttered another lascivious laugh and said, “I’m going to sound like Trump now: ‘Trust me.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2017
William’s private character was detestable: he was cruel, lascivious, greedy of gain, a habitual breaker of oaths and promises, ungrateful and irreligious.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 5 English History by Various
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.
