sensuous
adjective
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Sensuous and sensual are close in meaning but not identical, and sensuous was actually coined by the poet John Milton so that he wouldn't have to use sensual. Sensuous usually implies pleasing of the senses by art or similar means; great music, for example, can be a source of sensuous delight. Sensual, on the other hand, usually describes gratification of the senses or physical appetites as an end in itself; thus we often think (perhaps unfairly) of wealthy Romans leading lives devoted to sensual pleasure. You can see why the Puritan Milton might have wanted another word.
Examples of sensuous in a Sentence
Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025
But only once has the mercantile danced with the affluent to such sensuous effect in the realm of fiction.
—JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2025
Clothes felt sensuous without overt sexuality and bareness.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2025
Hamilton has created an environment that feels both grand and cocoon-like, with velvet armchairs in rich jewel tones, sensuous materials like marble and leather, and a confident colour palette that echoes the surrounding natural landscape.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sensuous
Cite this Entry
“Sensuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sensuous. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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sensuous
adjective
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