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
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Recent Examples of licentious
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
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
Woodhull’s inability to counter the caricature of her as evil and licentious doomed her campaign.
—Allison Lange / Made By History, TIME, 6 Aug. 2024
And finally, modern far-right terrorists still frequently invoke the same libelous assertion that white women must be protected from licentious Black men.
—TIME, 14 May 2024
With his passing Thursday morning at the age of 65, Variety looks at the most memorable moments of Shane MacGowan’s licentious legacy.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023
Freedom’s licentious behavior shocks many of her fellow villagers, who conclude that her bottle must have contained some powerful intoxicant.
—Salman Rushdie, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2023
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
His diaries offered a ‘worldly, intelligent, licentious, highly indiscreet’ entree into elite gay and artistic circles.
—Tim Page, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2022
Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 25 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
Woodhull’s inability to counter the caricature of her as evil and licentious doomed her campaign.
—Allison Lange / Made By History, TIME, 6 Aug. 2024
And finally, modern far-right terrorists still frequently invoke the same libelous assertion that white women must be protected from licentious Black men.
—TIME, 14 May 2024
With his passing Thursday morning at the age of 65, Variety looks at the most memorable moments of Shane MacGowan’s licentious legacy.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 30 Nov. 2023
Freedom’s licentious behavior shocks many of her fellow villagers, who conclude that her bottle must have contained some powerful intoxicant.
—Salman Rushdie, The New Yorker, 31 Oct. 2023
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
His diaries offered a ‘worldly, intelligent, licentious, highly indiscreet’ entree into elite gay and artistic circles.
—Tim Page, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licentious
Adjective
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The wistful cover makes the case for focusing more on the ballad and less on the power, aspect associated with the passionate love song.—
Marina Watts,
People.com,
30 May 2025
-
His passionate pursuit of public service, driven by principle and purpose and not self-aggrandizement, was Gerry’s secret sauce.—
Paul Laudicina,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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And the doctors who don’t say that are just jealous of your hot little baby.—
Megan Amram,
New Yorker,
22 May 2025
-
From launching tentpole franchises such as World's Most Beautiful and Hot Guy Summer to snagging exclusives with Hollywood's most elite, i.e. Nicole Scherzinger and Tina Knowles and, of course, all the juicy commentary about all of pop culture's hottest topics.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Rafah faces 12 counts of committing lewd and lascivious acts with minors, according to a South San Francisco Police Department news release.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
23 May 2025
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Norman Riemer, 54, was arrested on April 30 and is facing five counts of lewd or lascivious molestation against a victim under the age of 12.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2025
Adjective
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The lustful reggaeton-bachata song about a twisted love affair would shock fans upon its release in the spring of 2005.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2025
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One of my obsessions is the hip-hop love song, and how the exaggerated, theatrical, and lustful nature of the genre makes for some of the realest and funniest depictions of catching feelings.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Licentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licentious. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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