Meaning & use
sensuous
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Giving pleasure to the senses, especially through beauty, texture, or sound.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after linking verbs like 'be', 'feel', 'look'.
Patterns
- sensuous + noun
- be/look/feel sensuous
The dancer's movements were slow and sensuous.
The fabric has a sensuous, velvety texture.
The music created a sensuous atmosphere in the room.
adjectivecomparable
Relating to the senses rather than the intellect.
Grammar: Often contrasts with 'intellectual' or 'rational'.
Patterns
- sensuous + noun
Her poetry is full of sensuous imagery.
He prefers sensuous experience to abstract theory.
The painting appeals to sensuous delight in color.
Word forms
| comparative | more sensuous |
|---|---|
| superlative | most sensuous |
Common combinations
- sensuous pleasure
- The spa offers pure sensuous pleasure.
- sensuous experience
- Tasting the wine was a sensuous experience.
- sensuous beauty
- The garden's sensuous beauty attracted many visitors.
- sensuous delight
- She took sensuous delight in the soft breeze.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sensual
- Sensual often suggests physical or sexual pleasure, while sensuous is more about aesthetic enjoyment of the senses.
- voluptuous
- Voluptuous implies luxury and indulgence, often with a sexual connotation; sensuous is broader and less suggestive.
- pleasurable
- Pleasurable is a general word for anything that gives pleasure; sensuous specifically relates to the senses.
Opposites
Word family
- sensuously adverb
- In a way that gives pleasure to the senses.
- sensuousness noun
- The quality of being sensuous.
Commonly confused: sensuous or sensual?
sensuous vs sensual
Sensual more often refers to physical or sexual pleasure, while sensuous is about aesthetic enjoyment of the senses.
Practice
Which word best completes the sentence: 'The artist chose a ___ palette of warm, rich colors.'?
Choose one answer.
Sensuous means pleasing to the senses, especially aesthetically, which fits the context of colors. Sensual would imply physical pleasure, senseless means without sense, and sensitive means easily affected.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sensuous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.