Sensual vs sensuous
The two overlap a lot. Sensual leans toward physical pleasure in the body, sometimes sexual. Sensuous leans toward things that please the senses, like rich colors, sounds or textures.
sensual adjective
Giving the body pleasure, sometimes in a sexual way.
- The spa promises a sensual hour of hot stones and scented oil.
- The song's slow, sensual rhythm filled the dance floor with couples.
sensuous adjective
Pleasing to the senses, such as sight, sound or touch.
- The painter is known for sensuous colors and the soft, glowing skin of his figures.
- The cello has a deep, sensuous tone that seems to fill the whole hall.
Watch out
- Sensual can also describe something that makes the senses react strongly, like a rich meal, which is close to sensuous.The tasting menu is a sensual feast of smoky aromas and sharp, bright flavors.
- Both words can be neutral and just mean relating to the senses, but mostly in philosophy and older writing. In everyday English, both suggest pleasure, so say sensory for the neutral meaning.Empiricists held that all knowledge begins in sensuous experience.
Test yourself
The poem is full of blank images of ripe fruit, warm light and soft fabric.
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sensuous. Sensuous is the usual word for art and images that please the senses. Sensual would add a hint of bodily pleasure.
The couple shared a long, blank kiss under the stars.
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Either. Both are common for a kiss. Sensual is the usual word for bodily pleasure, and careful writers often prefer it here.
Philosophers once ranked blank knowledge below what reason alone can reach.
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sensuous. For the neutral meaning, of the senses, sensuous is the usual word today. Sensual would suggest bodily pleasure.