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debauchery
[ dih-baw-chuh-ree ]
noun
- excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures; intemperance.
- Archaic. seduction from duty, allegiance, or virtue.
Word History and Origins
Origin of debauchery1
Example Sentences
They woke up with missing tracks after a night of debauchery in the desert, reminded us to never send emails after recreational drug use, and kept it real about how things can change when your homegirl becomes a whole parent.
The life of a pirate is a life of freedom, danger, and debauchery that make for perfect entertainment.
In Millet’s latest novel, a group of children have been thrown together at a vacation home rented by their parents, where the adults are too wrapped up in their own hedonism and debauchery to do much parenting at all.
There are parties to attend, fights to be had, a summer which promises debauchery and bacchanalian excess.
I’ll take gratuitous debauchery over gratuitous gore, of which there is also plenty here, any day.
They were found guilty of practicing habitual debauchery and inciting others to sexual deviance because of the footage.
She was not impressed by the drunken debauchery at the election-return party.
As for pictures of this controlled debauchery, no such luck.
The emperor Nero—known for his debauchery apparently collected the things.
But only in recent years have athletes begun to divulge lurid details of Olympic sexcapades and debauchery.
All this was set down to the debauchery of a rich old man, and everything was believed except the truth.
The man was perfectly sincere, and many a rough fellow owed his conversion from drink and debauchery to 'Appy 'Arry.
Futteh Khan, in fact, governed the kingdom under the designation of vizier, while Mahmood abandoned himself to debauchery.
In his early years he dissipated almost all his patrimony in libertinism and debauchery.
She said that she had been persecuted by John Bates, then sinking into debauchery, and that your brother had protected her.
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About This Word
What does debauchery mean?
Debauchery is behavior considered excessively decadent, indulgent, and depraved. It’s especially used to collectively refer to drug use, excessive drinking, promiscuous sex, and the kind of uninhibited activity that happens at wild parties.
Debauchery has traditionally been used in a negative way by those who condemn it as immoral or sinful. But it is also used in a somewhat ironic way by those who engage in such activity to celebrate it or make it seem fun.
Example: Hair metal bands in the ’80s were notorious for their backstage debauchery.
Where does debauchery come from?
The first records of the word debauchery come from the 1600s. It derives from the French verb débaucher, meaning “to tempt away from duty.” Debauchery is the noun form of the verb debauch, meaning “to corrupt,” “to pervert,” or “to engage in debauchery.” The suffix -ery is used to form nouns indicating collective actions or qualities, as in trickery.
From its earliest usage, debauchery has been used to refer to behavior considered immoral. Today, it often refers to extreme sensual indulgence—the sex and drugs part of sex, drugs, and rock-‘n’-roll. Debauchery can occur at a single wild party, but a lifestyle of endless partying can also be described as debauchery.
In some places, the word is used in a more formal way in so-called debauchery laws that prohibit behavior considered immoral. Such laws are often nonspecific and may sometimes be used to oppress people in the LGBTQ community, among others.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to debauchery?
- debauch (verb)
- debaucherous (adjective)
- debaucherously (adverb)
- debauchee (noun)
- debauched (adjective)
What are some synonyms for debauchery?
What are some words that often get used in discussing debauchery?
How is debauchery used in real life?
Debauchery typically refers to excessive, over-the-top partying and the kind of wild activity that goes with it. It is often used negatively to criticize such activity, but it can also be used in an ironic way that celebrates it.
(702): This hangover is what we deserve after that level of debauchery.
— TextsFromLastNight (@TFLN) July 17, 2015
And what a night it was… I can't talk about all of the things I saw back stage… suffice it to say that there was some extreme debauchery.
— Māgor (@csmagor) March 14, 2020
#Egypt social media influencer Haneen Hussam accused of 'debauchery' after viral #TikTok video https://t.co/PpSwVe6XDY
— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) April 22, 2020
Try using debauchery!
Is debauchery used correctly in the following sentence?
You wouldn’t believe the level of debauchery that used to go down at those frat parties.
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