leprous
lepr·ous/ˈlɛpɹəs/adjective
leprous is spelled L-E-P-R-O-U-S: 7 letters and 2 syllables (lepr·ous). It appears about once in every 13 million words in written English, the 106,501st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, leprous means “Of or relating to one of the diseases known as leprosy” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in leprous?
| Letters | 7: L-E-P-R-O-U-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: lepr·ous |
| In writing | about once in every 13 million words; the 106,501st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is leprous?
Leprous appears about once in every 13 million words in written English, the 106,501st 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 leprous?
- US /ˈlɛpɹəs/
Leprous has 2 syllables, split lepr·ous in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-I_learned_some_phrases-leprous.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with leprous?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as leprous (/ɛpɹəs/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: pelorus.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of leprous
- more leprous comparative
- most leprous superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does leprous mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to one of the diseases known as leprosy.
- 2
Infected with one of the diseases known as leprosy.
- 3
Similar to leprosy or its symptoms.
- 4
Having the appearance of the skin of one infected with leprosy; flaking, peeling, scabby, scurfy.
- 5
archaicImmoral, or corrupted or tainted in some manner; also, ostracized, shunned.
- 6
Of gold or other metals: contaminated with other substances; impure.
- 7
archaicSynonym of leprose (“covered with thin scurfy scales, scaly-looking”).
- 8
obsoleteCausing leprosy or a disease resembling it.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Leprous in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense infected with one of the diseases known as leprosy:
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 leprous come from?
From Middle English leprous (“having leprosy or a skin disease with symptoms like leprosy; (alchemy) of metals or minerals: impure; a leper”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman leprous, lepros [and other forms], Middle French lepros, lepreux, and Old French leprous, lepros (“having leprosy; a leper”) (modern French lépreux), and from their etymon Late Latin leprosus (“having leprosy; (alchemy) of metals: impure; a leper”), from Latin lepra (“leprosy”) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of; overly; prone to’ forming adjectives from nouns).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).