prurient

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: pru=ri=ent

CIDE DICTIONARY

prurient, a. [L. pruries, -entis, p. pr. of prurire to itch. Cf. Freeze.].

 Uneasy with desire; itching; especially, having a lascivious curiosity or propensity; lustful.  [1913 Webster]
"The eye of the vain and prurient is darting from object to object of illicit attraction."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

prurient, adj.
1 having an unhealthy obsession with sexual matters.
2 encouraging such an obsession.

Derivative

prurience n. pruriency n. pruriently adv.

Etymology

L prurire itch, be wanton

THESAURUS

prurient

Cyprian, Fescennine, Paphian, agape, agog, all agog, animal, aphrodisiomaniacal, athirst, bawdy, blue, burning with curiosity, carnal, clitoromaniacal, coarse, concupiscent, consumed with curiosity, consumed with desire, coveting, craving, crude, curious, debauched, devoured by desire, dirty, ejaculatory, erotic, eroticomaniacal, erotomaniacal, fervid, filthy, fleshly, foul, ghoulish, goatish, gossipy, gross, gynecomaniacal, horny, hot, hot-blooded, hungering, hungry, hysteromaniacal, indecent, inquiring, inquisitive, interested, itching, itchy, ithyphallic, lascivious, lecherous, lewd, libidinous, licentious, lickerish, loose, low, lubricious, lubricous, lurid, lustful, mad with lust, morbid, morbidly curious, nymphomaniacal, obscene, open-eyed, openmouthed, orgasmic, orgastic, overcurious, passionate, pornographic, priapic, quizzical, rakehell, randy, ribald, ruttish, salacious, satyric, scopophiliac, scurrilous, sensual, sex-starved, sexual, sexy, smutty, steamy, suggestive, supercurious, thirsting, thirsty, titillating, unsatisfied, vile, voluptuous, voyeuristic, vulgar

ROGET THESAURUS

prurient

Impurity

N impurity, uncleanness, immodesty, grossness, indelicacy, indecency, impudicity, obscenity, ribaldry, Fescennine, smut, bawdry, double entente, equivoque, concupiscence, lust, carnality, flesh, salacity, pruriency, lechery, lasciviency, lubricity, Sadism, sapphism, incontinence, intrigue, faux pas, amour, amourette, gallantry, debauchery, libertinish, libertinage, fornication, liaison, wenching, venery, dissipation, seduction, defloration, defilement, abuse, violation, rape, incest, prostitution, social evil, harlotry, stupration, whoredom, concubinage, cuckoldom, adultery, advoutry, crim, con, free love, seraglio, harem, brothel, bagnio, stew, bawdyhouse, cat house, lupanar, house of ill fame, bordel, bordello, impure, unclean, not to be mentioned to ears polite, immodest, shameless, indecorous, indelicate, indecent, Fescennine, loose, risque, coarse, gross, broad, free, equivocal, smutty, fulsome, ribald, obscene, bawdy, pornographic, concupiscent, prurient, lickerish, rampant, lustful, carnal, carnal-minded, lewd, lascivious, lecherous, libidinous, erotic, ruttish, salacious, Paphian, voluptuous, goatish, must, musty, unchaste, light, wanton, licentious, debauched, dissolute, of loose character, of easy virtue, frail, gay, riggish, incontinent, meretricious, rakish, gallant, dissipated, no better than she should be, on the town, on the streets, on the pave, on the loose, adulterous, incestuous, bestial.

Curiosity

N curiosity, interest, thirst for knowledge, thirst for truth, curiosity, curiousness, inquiring mind, inquisitiveness, omnivorous intellect, devouring mind, inquirer, sightseer, quidnunc, newsmonger, Paul Pry, eavesdropper, gossip, rubberneck, intellectual, seeker, seeker after truth, curious, inquisitive, burning with curiosity, overcurious, inquiring, prying, snoopy, nosy, peering, prurient, inquisitorial, inquisitory, curious as a cat, agape, what's the matter? what next? consumed with curios, curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought it back, curiouser and curiouser.