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Synonyms

salacious

American  
[suh-ley-shuhs] / səˈleɪ ʃəs /

adjective

  1. lustful or lecherous.

    Synonyms:
    libidinous, lascivious, wanton, lewd
    Antonyms:
    modest
  2. (of writings, pictures, etc.) obscene; grossly indecent.

    Synonyms:
    pornographic

salacious British  
/ səˈlæsɪtɪ, səˈleɪʃəs /

adjective

  1. having an excessive interest in sex

  2. (of books, magazines, etc) erotic, bawdy, or lewd

"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

Other Word Forms

  • salaciously adverb
  • salaciousness noun
  • salacity noun
  • unsalacious adjective
  • unsalaciously adverb
  • unsalaciousness noun

Etymology

Origin of salacious

1635–45; < Latin salāci- (stem of salāx ) lustful (derivative of salīre to jump, move spasmodically, spurt; salient, saltation ) + -ous

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.

In his interview with the Sun, Ramsay, who was at the wedding, insisted nothing "salacious" or "inappropriate" took place.

From BBC

A Homeland Security spokeswoman said the department “doesn’t waste time with salacious, baseless gossip.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The DHS spokeswoman said the department “doesn’t waste time with salacious, baseless gossip.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“The government always cherry picks what they feel are salacious little tidbits to spice up the indictment,” said his lawyer, William J. Brennan.

From The Wall Street Journal

The first reports of the crime were mostly objective — one newspaper described Short as a “beauteous 22-year-old” — but these soon devolved into salacious gutter journalism.

From Los Angeles Times