fornicate

verb

Definition of fornicatenext
as in to play (around)
formal + disapproving to have sexual intercourse

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of fornicate Age-old paintings of satyrs bedding nymphs and mythological figures fornicating have been newly unearthed at a small house at Pompeii. — Alex Greenberger For Artnews, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2024 Beset by pressures on all sides — complicated when Otto reported to him that Rhaenyra and Daemon were seen fornicating, for which Viserys fired Otto — Viserys banished Daemon a second time and ordered Rhaenyra to marry Laenor Velaryon, heir to the Driftwood Throne. — Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 13 June 2024 From bodily function issues and kid shenanigans to videos of terrible tattoos and people looking to fornicate with anything that has a pulse, fans serve as their own laugh track. — Ali Lerman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fornicate
  1. womanize
  2. copulate
  3. fool around
Verb
  • Beyoncé Honors Tina Turner at Paris 'Renaissance' Show At the time, few knew the horrors of her life offstage and in studios with her abusive and womanizing husband.
    — David Browne, Rolling Stone, 14 June 2023
  • That his father was a difficult, violent, womanizing alcoholic, holding 34 jobs in 44 years.
    — Karen Heller, Washington Post, 3 May 2023
Definition of womanize
Verb
  • Religious leaders specified days on which, for medical or liturgical reasons, married couples were not to copulate—one Irish rule book from the early seventh century excluded a good two-thirds of the year.
    — S. C. Cornell, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Once the toxin took effect, males mounted the females and copulated for between 40 and 75 minutes, without the risk of being gobbled up.
    — Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of copulate
Verb
  • Those who crave the thrill of a victory may embody the competitor. Bigger, bolder personalities may shine as jokers, always fooling around, or as storytellers, bringing imagination to life.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN, 23 Feb. 2025
  • While Mark and Helly were fooling around, Helly wasn’t fulfilling her promise to go get the directions Irving left tucked behind Dylan’s motivational poster.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Feb. 2025
Definition of fool around

Browse Nearby Words

fornicate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fornicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fornicate. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on fornicate

Nglish: Translation of fornicate for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All