salty

[sawl-tee]

adjective

saltier, saltiest 

1. tasting of or containing salt; saline.

2. piquant; sharp; witty.

3. racy or coarse.

   salty humor.

4. of the sea, sailing, or life at sea.

   salty tales of adventure on the high seas.

5. Slang.,  (especially of a sailor) toughened by experience.

   proud and salty Marines.

6. Slang.,  angry, upset, or hostile, especially due to embarrassment or failure.

   He gets all salty whenever he loses.

salty

/ ˈsɔːltɪ /

adjective

1. of, tasting of, or containing salt

2. (esp of humour) sharp; piquant

3. relating to life at sea

Other Word Forms

• saltily adverb
• saltiness noun
• oversalty adjective
• unsalty adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of salty¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; salt ¹, -y ¹

Example Sentences

A convicted murderer serving a life sentence in Australia is challenging a ban on prisoners consuming Vegemite - the polarising, salty spread that has become a national symbol.

Read more on BBC

The startup essentially tailors microbes using a technique known as adaptive laboratory evolution—gradually exposing the organisms to conditions such as high arsenic or salty water.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Enceladus is a geologically active world with a global, salty ocean hidden beneath its icy surface.

Read more on Science Daily

As we walk the long beach on toasty sand toward the lockers, the sun dries us and leaves us salty.

Read more on Salon

Indeed, Atencio’s words — some of those quoted in the book, such as “Avast there! Ye come seeking adventure and salty old pirates, aye?” — have become shorthand for how to speak like a pirate.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• alkaline 
• briny 
• pungent 
• saline 
• salted 
• sour 

When To Use

What else does salty mean?

Salty is a slang term for irritated, angry, or resentful, especially as a result of losing or being slighted. This sense of salty originates in and was popularized by Black English.