adj
salacious
suh-LAY-shuhs
adj
1
Deliberately focused on sex in a way that feels crude, gossipy, or designed to titillate rather than inform.
"The tabloid ran a salacious story about the actor's divorce."
"His salacious remarks made several colleagues uncomfortable."
How to Use Salacious
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSexually crude or gossipy, often used to describe scandalous news stories or comments.
When to use it
Formal/journalistic word — almost always carries a disapproving tone.
Common pairings
salacious details
salacious gossip
salacious rumors
Word Forms
more salacious comparative, most salacious superlative
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The tabloid ran a _____ story about the actor's divorce.
Etymology
From Latin salax, salacis, "lustful," originally describing animals eager to mate.