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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LeBron James is one of the latest to join the long list of stars from other sports who are passionate about golf.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
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His parents and siblings served in the military, but Bradley, who wouldn't qualify to serve because of severe vision impairment in his right eye, was passionate about helping his community in a different way.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Sami Zayn got off to a hot start, with a moonsault off the barricade.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
3 Aug. 2025
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Cacti and succulents are usually from hot, arid climates.—
Dr. Matthew Lisy,
Hartford Courant,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Lopez has a conviction for lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 in Norwalk, California. 5.—
Brooke Taylor,
FOXNews.com,
25 July 2025
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Dance with a big, lascivious drag queen and post it.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Who wouldn't want to experience love for the first time against the lustful backdrop of fictional Cousins Beach, an idyllic East Coast town, Walker said.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
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Rather than being lustful or playful, there’s a nervousness and a discomfort about her.—
Jesse David Fox,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Licentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licentious. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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