dissolute
adjective
dis·so·lute
ˈdi-sə-ˌlüt 
-lət
: lacking restraint
especially
: marked by indulgence in things (such as drink or promiscuous sex) deemed vices (see vice entry 1 sense 1)
leading a dissolute lifestyle
the dissolute and degrading aspects of human nature —
Wallace Fowlie
Wallace Fowlie
dissolutely
adverb
dissoluteness
noun
Examples of dissolute in a Sentence
literature dealing with the dissolute and degrading aspects of human experience
Recent Examples on the Web
Nick, a prequel to the original, offers us Carraway’s backstory as a soldier in World War I and a wanderer trying to find his way in a dissolute world.
—Danielle Teller, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Frost was born in San Francisco in 1874, moved across the country following the death of his dissolute, larger-than-life father, and made a series of homes in mill towns north of Boston with his mother, who was a schoolteacher, and his younger sister.
—Maggie Doherty, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
The Human Fear is their fantastic tribute to misspent youth and an even more dissolute adulthood.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2025
Someone who knows someone who’s terribly dissolute, and knows it, and is witty and verbal enough to talk about it, is just a ball to write.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissolute
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Danielle Teller, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Frost was born in San Francisco in 1874, moved across the country following the death of his dissolute, larger-than-life father, and made a series of homes in mill towns north of Boston with his mother, who was a schoolteacher, and his younger sister.
—Maggie Doherty, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
The Human Fear is their fantastic tribute to misspent youth and an even more dissolute adulthood.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2025
Someone who knows someone who’s terribly dissolute, and knows it, and is witty and verbal enough to talk about it, is just a ball to write.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissolute
Cite this Entry
“Dissolute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissolute. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dissolute
adjective
dis·so·lute
ˈdis-ə-ˌlüt
: having or showing bad morals or behavior
dissolutely
adverb
dissoluteness
noun
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