- indulging in casual and indiscriminate sexual relationships
- consisting of a number of dissimilar parts or elements mingled in a confused or indiscriminate manner
- indiscriminate in selection
- casual or heedless
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
pro•mis•cu•ous /prəˈmɪskyuəs/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- having numerous sexual partners.
- indiscriminate;
unselective:the promiscuous awarding of prizes.
pro•mis•cu•ous
(prə mis′kyo̅o̅ əs),USA pronunciation adj.
pro•mis′cu•ous•ly, adv.
pro•mis′cu•ous•ness, n.
- characterized by or involving indiscriminate mingling or association, esp. having sexual relations with a number of partners on a casual basis.
- consisting of parts, elements, or individuals of different kinds brought together without order.
- indiscriminate;
without discrimination. - casual;
irregular;
haphazard.
- Latin prōmiscuus mixed up, equivalent. to prō- pro-1 + misc(ēre) to mix + -uus deverbal adjective, adjectival suffix; see -ous
- 1595–1605
pro•mis′cu•ous•ness, n.
- 1. unchaste. 2. hodgepodge, confused, mixed, jumbled. See miscellaneous. 3. careless.
- 1. 2. pure. 3. selective.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
promiscuous /prəˈmɪskjʊəs/ adj
'promiscuous woman' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):