sensuous

English

Etymology

From Latin sensus (“sense”) + English -ous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɛnʃuəs/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

sensuous (comparative more sensuous, superlative most sensuous)

1. Appealing to the senses, or to sensual gratification.

   Although we rarely see Casanova himself on our tour of his sensuous world, we feel his presence as we look at paintings, sculpture, snuff boxes, embroidered vests, silk dresses, silver candy dishes, etc.

2. (not comparable) Of or relating to the senses; sensory.
   • 2000, Daniel Tiffany, Toy Medium: Materialism and Modern Lyric, page 173:

     The antithetical features of atomist doctrine are no longer seen as undetermining the principle of the atom, or negating sensuous appearance, but rather as intrinsic to both. Nature is full of contradictions […]

Derived terms

• sensuousness
• supersensuous

Related terms

• sense
• sensible
• sensual

Translations

appealing to the senses

• Bulgarian: естетически (estetičeski)
• Finnish: aistillinen (fi)
• French: sensuel (fr)
• German: sinnenfreudig (de), sinnlich (de), sinnenhaft
• Maori: pūkari (refers to a lustful sense), tūkari

relating to the senses; sensory

• Afrikaans: sensories
• Bulgarian: сетивен (bg) (setiven)
• French: sensoriel (fr)
• German: sensorisch, Sinnes-, sinnlich (de)

Further reading

• “sensuous”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “sensuous”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “sensuous”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.