adjective

salacious

suh-LAY-shus/səˈleɪʃəs/

Showing or arousing inappropriate interest in sexual matters.

The tabloid prints salacious details about the actor's sex life.

A woman eagerly pores over a spread of gossip magazines devoted to intimate celebrity encounters, using a magnifying glass to scrutinize a photograph of an adult couple kissing.

Etymology

Latin salax meant 'lustful' and probably originally 'fond of leaping,' referring to a male animal mounting a female. That sexual sense survives in descriptions of excessive interest in sexual matters.

In context

America's Untold Stories29:19

they were there as nude models so it wasn't like you know anything salacious you know they knew what they were coming for

Mark Groubert and The National Lampoon

More examples

She objects to the host's salacious jokes.
The novel is suspenseful without being salacious.
He shares salacious gossip about his coworkers' affairs.

Forms

salacious · more salacious · most salacious

salaciousness noun — The quality of showing or arousing inappropriate sexual interest.

salaciously adverb — In a way suggesting inappropriate sexual interest.

Similar words

lewd: Emphasizes offensive sexual expression rather than interest or curiosity.
prurient: Focuses on excessive sexual curiosity, especially about others' private lives.
suggestive: Hints at sexual content without necessarily being explicit or inappropriate.