licentious

adjective

lī-ˈsen(t)-shəs How to pronounce licentious (audio)
Definition of licentiousnext
as in passionate
having a strong sexual desire a moralist who decried what she regarded as the licentious and corrupt culture of the entertainment industry

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 licentious Wilkes was a member of the supposedly licentious Hellfire Club, one of those groups (think of Led Zeppelin in our time) known for satanic pursuits that probably were mostly drunken stunts. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 While Black writers and artists looked to Harlem as a source of optimism and inspiration, whites saw Harlem and other centers of urban Black life as alluring quarters for their more licentious desires. — Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 His strained, sandpaper-coarse timbre served as an ideal conduit for songs concerned with boisterous revelries, shady agreements, licentious intentions and musical pleasures. — Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025 The mansion has been renovated before, and previous mayor Dave Bing, when newly elected, was transparent about the amount used on upgrades, ending the shroud of licentious rumors regarding the mansion since 2010. — Leah Olajide, Freep.com, 22 May 2025 Whereas The Swimming-Pool Library transpires over one London summer — the last licentious gasp before AIDS— and The Line of Beauty spans the Thatcher era, Hollinghurst has lately been expanding his temporal horizons. — Sam Worley, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2024 Ahmed is referring to the era in Tangier's history, beginning in the interwar period and peaking in the 1950s, when the city served as a licentious playground for a motley assortment of artists, socialites, and hedonists. — Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licentious
  1. passionate
  2. hot
  3. lascivious
  4. lustful
Adjective
  • The colors are dour and muted, and the yearnings of the two elder Dashwood sisters—the self-abnegating Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and the passionate Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles, a gimlet-eyed standout)—often play out in drearily candlelit rooms.
    — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Bulgari staff is notably passionate about this garden and volunteers there on a regular basis.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of passionate
Adjective
  • Then, of course, there’s the sandwich that started it all — the Sublime, with prosciutto, hot soppressata, burrata, fresh walnut pesto, spicy garlic aioli, sundried tomatoes and arugula.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Neither is the league’s hottest player, the record five-time MVP A’Ja Wilson, whose defending champion Las Vegas were swept in the semifinals by Golden State.
    — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of hot
Adjective
  • Caruso has been charged with kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse inflicting mental injury.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Count 6, lewd and lascivious conduct against a child under 16.
    — Nikiya Carrero, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of lascivious
Adjective
  • Robert also identifies the lustful subtext of Bret’s fixation on Robert and Susan together.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • In March, the Miami Herald also joined Welty and the Croc Docs on a trip deep in the interior of the northern Everglades to track down lustful male pythons.
    — Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026
Definition of lustful

Browse Nearby Words

licentiates
licentious
licentiousness
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Cite this Entry

“Licentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licentious. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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