Word of the Day: lascivious

Every so often it helps to contemplate a word that works well in the place of harsher-sounding, or even dirty, words. Rather than reach for the first available slur to hurl at someone you’d like to insult, temper your aggression with a word that might not appear particularly crude but packs a punch and will certainly make you sound super-smart.

lascivious – Another word for wanton or lewd, it’s an adjective used to describe someone who is inclined towards lustfulness (for example, “That girl is a lascivious hussy; look at her flirting with my husband.”) It might also describe an aspect of such a person’s behaviour, or to qualify the intention of a behaviour or action (as in “That flat-chested hussy gave my husband a lascivious look, her eyes burning holes through his underwear.”) It can also be used to describe something that arouses sexual desire, such as an erotic photograph (“a lascivious image of a college sex fantasy”). Or to describe something that indicates sexual interest, or is expressive of lewdness or lust, such as “a lascivious joke”.

Note: If you assumed that my comments about the word tumescence are lascivious, there’s a very good chance you’re the one with the lascivious mind.