lecherous
/ˈlɛt͡ʃ.ɚ.əs/adjective
lecherous is spelled L-E-C-H-E-R-O-U-S: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 63,645th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, lecherous means “Given to excessive sexual activity and debauchery” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in lecherous?
| Letters | 9: L-E-C-H-E-R-O-U-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 63,645th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is lecherous?
Lecherous appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 63,645th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce lecherous?
- UK /ˈlɛtʃ.ə.ɹəs/
- US /ˈlɛt͡ʃ.ɚ.əs/
Lecherous has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-lecherous.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of lecherous
- more lecherous comparative
- most lecherous superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does lecherous mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Given to excessive sexual activity and debauchery.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Lecherous in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense given to a lustful craving of sexual activities:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | lubrique |
| German | lüstern |
| Portuguese | lascivo, libidinoso |
| Spanish | libidinoso, lascivo, licencioso, libertino, lujurioso |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does lecherous come from?
From Middle English lecherous, licherous, from Old French *lecherous (attested in Old French lecherousement (“lecherously”)), from Old French lecherie, licherie (“gluttony, sensuality, lewdness, lechery”), from Old French lecher, lechier, lekier, lescher (“to lick, live in gluttony or sensuality”), from Old Frankish *lekkōn, *likkōn (“to lick”), from Proto-Germanic *likkōną (“to lick”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵʰ- (“to lick”), equivalent to lecher + -ous. More at lick.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).