carnal
Americanadjective
-
pertaining to or characterized by the flesh or the body, its passions and appetites; sensual.
carnal pleasures.
- Synonyms:
- concupiscent , libidinous , lascivious , lecherous , lustful , bodily
-
not spiritual; merely human; temporal; worldly.
a man of secular, rather carnal, leanings.
adjective
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Related Words
Carnal, sensual, fleshly, animal all refer to bodily rather than rational or spiritual aspects of humans. Carnal, although it may refer to the body as opposed to the spirit, often refers to sexual needs or urges: carnal cravings, attractions, satisfactions. Sensual implies a suggestion of eroticism: sensual eyes; a sensual dance; it may also refer to experience of the senses: a sensual delight. Fleshly may refer to any physical need or appetite, sex as well as hunger and thirst: the fleshly sin of gluttony; fleshly yearnings. Animal refers to sexual appetites in a censorious way only; it may also describe pleasing or admirable physical characteristics or appearance: animal lust; to move with animal grace.
Other Word Forms
- carnalism noun
- carnalist noun
- carnality noun
- carnally adverb
- carnalness noun
- hypercarnal adjective
- hypercarnally adverb
Etymology
Origin of carnal
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin carnālis, equivalent to carn- (stem of carō ) “flesh” + -ālis -al 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Using the same descriptions for carnal matters tends to irritate the pious, but it isn’t improper in the least.
From Salon
He sought refuge in the church to escape his own carnal longings and found condemnation everywhere, including in the mirror.
From Los Angeles Times
He told me, “Hey carnal, I’m going to invite you to be on my album.”
From Los Angeles Times
But the texting and blocking, the free-for-all backwaters of the internet and the carnal shenanigans that color contemporary TV teendom do put a different complexion on growing up.
From Los Angeles Times
The next, their gasps and grunts turn carnal, almost violent.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
