Lascivious: adj.
las-civ-i-ous
Lustful or lewd. Arousing sexual desires. Inclined to lusfulness.
“Walking down Ste Catherine St. lined with strip clubs and peep shows, the priest was horrified to see that although it was named after the Patron Saint for guarding against sexual temptation, the street had somehow become the dominion of lasciviousness.”
“As he was leaving she shot him a lascivious stare. He immediately decided to order another drink.”
Lascivious is derived from the Latin word lasciviosus and lascivia meaning wantonness, playfulness or lust. This, in turn, comes from lascivus which means wanton, sportful, playful.
The word lascivious is imbued with certain negative connotations and generally shouldn’t be used to describe someone you don’t want to offend (e.g. mother, boss, girlfriend). It also shouldn’t be used unless you have a burning desire to sound like a 16th century puritan.
