lewd

[ lood ]

/ lud /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lewd ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, lewd·er, lewd·est.

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.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

levulose, levulosemia, levy, levy en masse, lew, lewd, lewes, lewis, lewis acid, lewis and clark expedition, lewis and harris

Origin of lewd

before 900; Middle English leud, lewed, Old English lǣwede lay, unlearned

Related forms

lewd·ly, adverblewd·ness, noun

Can be confused

lewd obscene pornographic profanatory profane

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lewdness

I have not permitted myself any lewdness or abusive word in the house of veracity.
The Pharaoh and the Priest|Alexander Glovatski
But he did not sink into lewdness and vice, under the pressure of his adverse circumstances.
Golden Steps to Respectability, Usefulness and Happiness|John Mather Austin
By the French and Anglo-Saxon laws, lewdness was thus punished.
La Sorcire: The Witch of the Middle Ages|Jules Michelet
In my absence, loosening the cord of the obi, secretly you indulge your lewdness.
The Yotsuya Kwaidan or O'Iwa Inari|James S. De Benneville

Messalina, wife to the emperor Claudius, infamous for her lewdness.
Dryden's Works (13 of 18): Translations; Pastorals|John Dryden

British Dictionary definitions for lewdness

lewd

/ (luːd) /

adjective

characterized by or intended to excite crude sexual desire; obscene

obsolete

wicked
ignorant

Derived Forms

lewdly, adverblewdness, noun

Word Origin for lewd

C14: from Old English lǣwde lay, ignorant; see lay ³

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012