lascivious

adjective

las·​civ·​i·​ous lə-ˈsi-vē-əs How to pronounce lascivious (audio)
: filled with or showing sexual desire : lewd, lustful
lascivious acts/thoughts
arrested for lewd and lascivious assault
… crude and lascivious remarks …John Nichols
He is every woman's worst nightmare: the lascivious shark in a gold chain, loud sport shirt and polyester suit …Susan Schindehette et al.
lasciviously adverb
His show always began with Benny in a public park leering lasciviously at a bevy of young beauties … Gyles Brandreth
lasciviousness noun
… he satirized the contrived unions favored by upper society, exposing the greed, corruption, and lasciviousness with which they were permeated. Harvey Rachlin

Examples of lascivious in a Sentence

He was arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior. was criticized for making lascivious remarks that offended many in the group
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Espinoza was convicted of lewd and lascivious acts against a child victim. Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 5 Apr. 2025 On Friday, he was arrested and questioned by detectives on two counts of lewd and lascivious battery on a child. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2025 The two men, both Mexican nationals, are now accused of lewd and lascivious behavior with a minor and molesting a minor in connection with an incident that allegedly occurred on March 20 in the cruise ship's sauna. Chris Spargo, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025 William Francis Chatel was arrested Tuesday, March 11, and charged with lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim under 12 years of age, according to online court records. Kc Baker, People.com, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lascivious

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin lasciviosus, from Latin lascivia wantonness, from lascivus wanton — more at lust entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lascivious was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lascivious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lascivious. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

lascivious

adjective
las·​civ·​i·​ous lə-ˈsiv-ē-əs How to pronounce lascivious (audio)
lasciviously adverb
lasciviousness noun

Legal Definition

lascivious

adjective
las·​civ·​i·​ous lə-ˈsi-vē-əs How to pronounce lascivious (audio)
: reflecting or producing sexual desire or behavior especially that is considered indecent or obscene
lewd and lascivious behavior

More from Merriam-Webster on lascivious

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