Standard Lemma guide

lewdness

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • lo͞od'nəs
  • /ˈluːdnəs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The quality, state or instance of being lewd; promiscuous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the trait of behaving in an obscene manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: obscenity, bawdiness, salaciousness, salacity

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: indecency

Narrower terms: smuttiness, dirtiness

History

Etymology

From Middle English lewednesse, equivalent to lewd + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: oplzlost — promiscuity
  • Czech: obscénnost — promiscuity
  • Czech: lascivnost — promiscuity
  • Dutch: ontucht — promiscuity
  • Dutch: obsceniteit — promiscuity
  • German: Anzüglichkeit — promiscuity
  • Gothic: 𐌰𐌲𐌻𐌰𐌹𐍄𐌹 (aglaiti) — promiscuity
  • Hebrew: זִמָּה (zimmá) — promiscuity
  • Māori: tīwekatanga — promiscuity
  • Russian: по́хоть (póxotʹ) — promiscuity
  • Russian: похотли́вость (poxotlívostʹ) — promiscuity
  • Russian: распу́тность (raspútnostʹ) — promiscuity
  • Swahili: uasherati — promiscuity
  • Swedish: oanständighet — promiscuity
  • Ottoman Turkish: زنا (zinâ) — promiscuity