salacious

USAGE SUMMARY

'salacious' is a correct and usable word in written English.
It is an adjective that means involving or characterized by lustful or excessive or sensational interest in sex. For example: "The salacious details of the gossip magazine's latest issue had everyone talking."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Shortly thereafter, a salacious video for Miley Cyrus's Adore You materialised, in which the singer runs a sly hand down her body to signify that she too will procure her own pleasure – a routine she's also decided to play up on her current Bangerz tour.

The Guardian - Music

I am certain that the expectation the inclusion of Ukip might make for salacious TV has also not been far from TV executives' thoughts.

The Guardian - Opinion

Before we reach the gruesome climax, we're served up a degrading onslaught of rapes, murders, torture, salacious sex, genocide, castration and even news footage of real-life executions.

The Guardian - Film

Now her feel for human nature and her excellent knowledge of Russian language and culture, combined with her research among Russian (and German) sources, have produced a worthy sequel.Whereas other historians have focused recently on the salacious details of life at the top of Stalin's Soviet Union, Ms Merridale's approach is from the bottom up, coupled with her own careful but incisive analysis.

The Economist

Along the way, Mr Glyn displays a dry humour and a taste for salacious gossip.

The Economist

Last year, as the salacious details of Mr McCourt's messy divorce dominated the headlines and the team floundered on the field, the Dodgers' attendance plummeted to 36,236 spectators a game far below their average of 45,350 from 2004-09.Moreover, their crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, have made a powerful bid to supplant the Dodgers as the area's most beloved baseball team.

The Economist

Everything about the American system is intolerable, and each unsavoury nugget presses fast on the last: campaign spending, child poverty, Chinese spies, the salacious press, the war on drugs, and senators' immunity from tickets for bad driving.

The Economist

Add to this toxic cocktail repeated shots of scandal, from Abu Ghraib to Mark Foley, a Republican congressman who exchanged salacious e-mails with adolescent pages online, and the wonder is that their ratings are not even lower.Iraq is the prime example of a principled policy, poorly executed.

The Economist

The resignation last month of Mark Foley, a Republican congressman accused of sending salacious e-mails to young congressional pages, is merely the latest blow.Worse than sleaze is pork.

The Economist

But, because many of the salacious rumours about Mr Clinton have now been substantiated, the Drudge style of journalism has acquired some respectability, much as Watergate made deep-throat journalism acceptable.

The Economist

The current furore over more salacious issues, such as whether and how he got his star telecoms analyst, Jack Grubman, to change a stock recommendation on AT&T, is diverting public attention from bigger problems.Losses from aggressively-sold credit cards and consumer loans are on the rise; the brokerage operation has not cut costs in line with declining prospects.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "salacious", ensure that the context aligns with its meaning of promoting sexual desire or being indecent. Avoid using it to describe simply suggestive or playful content.

Common error

Don't use "salacious" when "suggestive" or "racy" would be more appropriate. "Salacious" implies a strong, often offensive, level of sexual explicitness or intent to arouse.

Linguistic Context

The word "salacious" functions primarily as an adjective, modifying nouns to describe something as appealing to or characterized by prurient interest or sexual desire. As noted by Ludwig AI, it is a correct and usable word in written English. Examples include "salacious details" and "salacious gossip".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

69%

Encyclopedias

12%

Formal & Business

6%

Less common in

Science

4%

Reference

2%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "salacious" is an adjective used to describe content that is sexually suggestive or has a strong, often indecent appeal. As Ludwig AI confirms, it’s a correct and usable word. With 58 real-world examples, it demonstrates "salacious" is a very common word. While grammatically sound, its appropriateness depends heavily on context, making it more suitable for news, media, and informal settings but less so for formal or scientific writing. Related terms like "lewd", "lascivious", and "racy" offer nuanced alternatives, allowing for more precise expression depending on the intended level of explicitness or offense.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

lewd

Emphasizes the overt and offensive nature of the sexuality expressed.

lascivious

Focuses on the expression of overt and often offensive sexual desire.

licentious

Highlights a disregard for accepted moral constraints, especially in sexual behavior.

bawdy

Suggests humorously indecent or sexual content.

prurient

Indicates an excessive interest in sexual matters, especially the details of others' lives.

obscene

Stresses the offensive or disgusting nature of the sexual content.

indecent

A general term for violating standards of propriety, often in a sexual context.

racy

Describes something lively and sexually suggestive, but not necessarily offensive.

suggestive

Implies a subtle but clear reference to sexual matters.

titillating

Highlights the sexually exciting or arousing nature of the content.

FAQs

How can I use "salacious" in a sentence?

You can use "salacious" to describe content or behavior that is excessively interested in or promotes sexual desire. For example, "The magazine was known for its "salacious" gossip about celebrities."

What's a less intense alternative to "salacious"?

If "salacious" seems too strong, consider alternatives like "suggestive" or "racy", which imply sexual content but with less emphasis on indecency.

Is it okay to use "salacious" in formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "salacious" might be inappropriate for formal or academic writing unless the context specifically requires a term to describe overtly sexual or indecent content. Consider the tone and audience before using it.

What is the difference between "salacious" and "prurient"?

"Salacious" describes something that incites sexual desire or is lustful, while "prurient" describes an excessive interest in sexual matters, especially the details of others' lives. Something "salacious" is intended to arouse; something "prurient" is characterized by dwelling on sexual thoughts.