Dissolute
/ˈdɪsəˌluːt/
adjectiveC2
Definition
Dissolute means living without control over your behavior, especially in a way that breaks social or moral rules. It often refers to people who enjoy bad habits like drinking too much, being careless, or acting in a wild or improper way.
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⚡ See It in Action
Describing a person’s immoral or uncontrolled lifestyle
- •He was known as a dissolute man who spent his money on parties and drinking.
- •The novel tells the story of a dissolute nobleman who lost everything.
- •Her dissolute habits worried her family.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "dissolute" like "bad" but much stronger and about how someone lives their life without limits or care for rules.
- ✓Picture a person at a noisy party, drinking too much and ignoring what others think.
- ✓It's the feeling when you see someone making poor choices again and again, without thinking about the future.
- ✓Sounds like "dis-LOOT" → imagine someone losing (dis-) all their good behavior like a treasure (loot) slipping away.
- ✓Think of stories where a character lives wildly and loses respect because of their careless actions.
- ✓NOT like "naughty" (which can be small mistakes), "dissolute" is serious and about a way of life.
- ✓NOT like "wild" (just energetic or free), "dissolute" means harmful or bad behavior without control.
- ✓NOT like "careless" (just forgetting), "dissolute" is about choosing to live badly on purpose.
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Immoral: not following moral rules (Use when focusing on right and wrong behavior)
- •Wild: uncontrolled or free in behavior (Use when the focus is on energetic or free actions, not always bad)
- •Reckless: not caring about danger or consequences (Use when the behavior is careless and risky)
- •Debauched: living with bad habits like drinking and sex (Use when describing very bad, immoral lifestyle)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: prefix "dis-" (not, opposite) + root "solute" (from Latin "solutus," meaning loosened or free)
- •Etymology: From Latin "dissolutus," meaning loose, free from restraint or control
- •Historical development: First used in English in the 1500s to describe people who do not control their behavior, especially morally
- •Modern usage: Used to describe people or lifestyles that are wild, immoral, or uncontrolled, often in literature or formal speech
💭 Reflect & Connect
•How do different cultures view dissolute behavior? Is it always seen as bad?
•Can someone change from a dissolute lifestyle to a better one? What might help that change?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.He became dissolute because he lost ___ to control his habits and choices.
2.A dissolute person often ignores ___ and acts without thinking about consequences.
3.Unlike a wild party, dissolute behavior usually shows a ___ pattern of bad choices.
4.When someone is described as dissolute, it means they live ___ rules or morals.
5.Dissolute habits often lead to ___ problems like losing friends or money.
6.People who are dissolute may ___ their health by drinking or other harmful actions.
7.The story showed how dissolute living can ___ a person's reputation and life.