English Reference
Adjective

lewd

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ˈɫud/ UK /lˈuːd/ lewd

adj.describing something that is rude or sexual in a way that makes people feel uncomfortable. It is often used for jokes, comments, or behavior that is not appropriate for a public place.

adj.referring to sexual matters in a crude, offensive, or lustful manner. Often used to describe behavior or speech that violates social norms of decency.


SIMPLE

The man was arrested for making lewd comments to people on the street.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager warned the staff that lewd jokes would not be tolerated in the workplace and could lead to dismissal.

COMPLEX

The film was criticized not for its artistic merit, but for a series of lewd scenes that many felt were included solely to provoke a scandalized reaction from the public.

Usage

Typically used as an attributive adjective before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'be' or 'become'.

In 2015, Kyrgios was given a suspended 28-day ban for making lewd remarks about Stan Wawrinka's girlfriend during a match in Montreal.

BBC News· 19 Aug 2026

From Middle English lewed, lewd, leued (“unlearned, lay, lascivious”), from Old English lǣwede (“unlearned, ignorant, lay”), of uncertain origin. Formally similar to a derivative of the past participle of Old English lǣwan (“to reveal, betray”) in the sense of "exposed as being unlearned" or "easily betrayed, clueless", from Proto-West Germanic lāwijan, from Proto-Germanic lēwijaną (“to betray”), from lēwą (“an opportunity, cause”), from Proto-Indo-European lēw- (“to leave”). If so, then cognate with Old High German gilāen, firlāen (“to betray”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌴𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (galēwjan, “to give over, betray”), Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐍅 (lēw, “an opportunity, cause”). Or, according to the OED, probably from Vulgar Latin *laigo-, from Late Latin lāicus (“of the people”), from Ancient Greek λαϊκός (laïkós).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Ancient Greek λαϊκός
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated