dissolute
/'disəlu:t/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Lacking moral restraint; indulging in immoral or improper pleasures: Describes a person, lifestyle, or behavior characterized by excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures, often with a disregard for conventional morality.
- Marked by a departure from what is considered right or proper: Suggests a state of being corrupt or debauched due to overindulgence.
Usage
The word "dissolute" is a formal adjective used to describe a person's character or way of life. It carries a strong negative judgment, implying a willful rejection of moral or social constraints. It is often used in literary, historical, or critical contexts.
Examples
- Adjective:
- He led a dissolute life of constant parties and gambling.
- The novel portrays the dissolute aristocracy of the 18th century.
- His dissolute behavior eventually led to his ruin.
Advanced Usage
- "Dissolute habits": Refers to a pattern of immoral or excessive behavior.
- Years of dissolute habits had taken a toll on his health and fortune.
- "A dissolute character": Used in literary analysis to describe a morally corrupt figure in a story.
- The play's villain is a charming but utterly dissolute character.
Variants and Related Words
- Dissolutely (adverb): In a dissolute manner.
- He lived dissolutely, without a care for the future.
- Dissoluteness (noun): The quality or state of being dissolute.
- The dissoluteness of the court was widely criticized.
Synonyms
- Debauched: Indicates corruption through excessive indulgence in pleasure.
- Depraved: Suggests moral corruption or perversion.
- Profligate: Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the pursuit of pleasure.
- Licentious: Disregarding accepted rules, especially in sexual behavior.
- Rakish: Stylishly unconventional in a way that suggests a dissolute lifestyle (can have a slightly less harsh or more charming connotation).
Antonyms
- Virtuous: Having high moral standards.
- Ascetic: Practicing strict self-denial, typically for religious reasons.
- Restrained: Characterized by reserve or moderation.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- "A life of dissolute pleasure": A common phrase describing a lifestyle devoted to hedonistic pursuits.
- The biography chronicles his descent into a life of dissolute pleasure.
Adjective
- unrestrained by convention or morality
- Congreve draws a debauched aristocratic society
- deplorably dissipated and degraded
- riotous living
- fast women