sensual
Americanadjective
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pertaining to, inclined to, or preoccupied with the gratification of the senses or appetites; carnal; fleshly.
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lacking in moral restraints; lewd or unchaste.
- Synonyms:
- lascivious
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arousing or exciting the senses or appetites.
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of or relating to the senses or physical sensation; sensory.
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pertaining to the philosophical doctrine of sensationalism.
adjective
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of or relating to any of the senses or sense organs; bodily
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strongly or unduly inclined to gratification of the senses
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tending to arouse the bodily appetites, esp the sexual appetite
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of or relating to sensualism
Related Words
Sensual, sensuous, voluptuous refer to experience through the senses. Sensual refers, often unfavorably, to the enjoyments derived from the senses, especially from the gratification or indulgence of physical appetites: a sensual delight in eating; sensual excesses. Sensuous refers, favorably or literally, to what is experienced through the senses: sensuous impressions; sensuous poetry. Voluptuous implies the luxurious gratification of sensuous or sensual desires: voluptuous joys; voluptuous beauty. See also carnal.
Other Word Forms
- hypersensual adjective
- hypersensualness noun
- nonsensual adjective
- sensually adverb
- sensualness noun
- subsensual adjective
- transsensual adjective
- unsensual adjective
Etymology
Origin of sensual
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin sēnsuālis, equivalent to sēnsu-, stem of sēnsus sense + -ālis -al 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.
The track’s metaphorical meaning — comparing his own flawed behavior in relationships to a “mutt” or a dog with good intentions — along with a sensual bassline and knocking drums eventually became a sleeper hit.
From Los Angeles Times
He liked the fresh, colorful and sensual image that a mango instilled, and the universality of a word recognizable in many languages without translation.
The Virginia native’s slim but hugely impactful discography — just three LPs and an assortment of live cuts and loosies — showcased the same loving commitment to the sensual possibilities of pure sound.
From Los Angeles Times
Whatever subject she’s writing about, Ms. Case tends to return to the sensual and tactile—she has a finely tuned ear for physical details that convey deeper meaning.
In mixing the cerebral with the sensual, Eusexua mostly succeeds – but occasionally the precision of Twigs' vision suffocates the spontaneity she was aiming for.
From BBC
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.
