salty
Americanadjective
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racy or coarse.
salty humor.
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of the sea, sailing, or life at sea.
salty tales of adventure on the high seas.
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Slang. (especially of a sailor) toughened by experience.
proud and salty Marines.
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Slang. angry, upset, or hostile, especially due to embarrassment or failure.
He gets all salty whenever he loses.
adjective
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of, tasting of, or containing salt
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(esp of humour) sharp; piquant
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relating to life at sea
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
- oversalty adjective
- saltily adverb
- saltiness noun
- unsalty adjective
Etymology
Origin of salty
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; salt 1, -y 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There was a slab of cream-colored dried fish, delicious and so salty it was like eating the sea itself.
From Literature
Crisped bacon, chopped into uneven bits like salty candy?
From Salon
Everything is old and a little shabby, and the air is as damp and salty in here as it is outside.
From Literature
Structure them lightly: salty snacks, olive bar favorites, dips.
From Salon
When the ship docks, I look out at the vast city that embraces the Sea of Marmara and inhale the salty air.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
