lewd
Americanadjective
-
inclined to, characterized by, or inciting to lust or lechery; lascivious.
-
obscene or indecent, as language or songs; salacious.
-
Obsolete.
-
low, ignorant, or vulgar.
-
base, vile, or wicked, especially of a person.
-
bad, worthless, or poor, especially of a thing.
-
adjective
-
characterized by or intended to excite crude sexual desire; obscene
-
obsolete
-
wicked
-
ignorant
-
Other Word Forms
- lewdly adverb
- lewdness noun
Etymology
Origin of lewd
First recorded before 900; Middle English leud, lewed, Old English lǣwede “lay, unlearned”
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.
Speaking to the BBC outside, while some people described it as inappropriate or "lewd", many others, including those with young children, were relaxed about its presence.
From BBC
On May 21, the university notified Gradoni of his interim suspension for violating campus policies on disruption and disorderly or lewd conduct, among others.
From Los Angeles Times
Aaron Dyer, an attorney for Sean and Christian Combs, called the lawsuit “lewd and meritless.”
From Seattle Times
The law forbids shipment of every "obscene, lewd, lascivious, indecent, filthy or vile article, matter, thing, device, or substance."
From Salon
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
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.
