It may all be sexual — and all three relate to the senses — but the real confusion is when to use sensual versus sensuous.
It’s a minute distinction with sensual relating to sexual gratification and the more neutral sensuous referring to what is experienced through the senses. The sensuosity of swimming, the pull of music, the beauty of a magnificent storm…
Word Confusions…
…started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noir for you from either end.
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| Sensual | Sensuous | Sexual |
|---|---|---|
| Credit to: Apple Dictionary.com; Dictionary.com: sensual, sexual; Lexico.com: sensual, sensuous, sexual | ||
Sensual Woman by Anità V.S.l is under the CC0 license, via pxhere, <https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1592579>. |
Undine is an oil painting by John William Waterhouse, which is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — There’s the sensuous feel of water spraying on this nymph. |
Sexual Relations of Beetles is under the CC0 license, via pxhere, <https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1487273>. |
| Part of Grammar: | ||
| Adjective | Adjective | Adjective; Combining form |
| Relating to sexual pleasure
Relating to or involving gratification of the senses and physical, especially sexual, pleasure
Lacking in moral restraints
Arousing or exciting the senses or appetites
Pertaining to the philosophical doctrine of sensationalism. |
Relating to or affecting the physical senses
Relating to or affecting the senses rather than the intellect Attractive or gratifying physically, especially sexually Readily affected through the senses Of or relating to sensible objects or to the senses |
Sex
Adjective: Relating to the instincts, physiological processes, and activities connected with physical attraction or intimate physical contact between individuals Occurring between or involving the sexes Relating to the two sexes or to gender
Being of one sex or the other
[Biology; of reproduction] Involving the fusion of gametes Combining form: |
| Examples: | ||
| This production of the ballet is sensual and passionate.
His films generally concern the cruel power of obsessional love and the need for sensual pleasure. You can have a great time with a partner, feeling aroused, sensual, intimate and loving, and not have an orgasm. There is pure sensual pleasure in being in the water, going at my own pace, and life looks better afterwards. You are bound to share sensual delights and exotic pleasures with your cherished one. She has this big box of sensual anger that’s all neatly locked up by her superego. Sex is seen as part of this sensual excess; it’s not transformative or transcendent. It’s such a sensual treat that I wonder if I can just get the hair wash and skip the cut altogether. |
The work showed a deliberate disregard of the more sensuous and immediately appealing aspects of painting.
The viewer comes away with an appreciation of the sensuous and intellectual pleasure of these paintings. The aesthetic is the sensuous, what is given to the senses. It is sensuous in that it makes full use of the senses — seeing, touching, smelling, tasting, and hearing. Her voice was rather deep but very sensuous. He was easily affected by the sensuous qualities of music. She had quite the sensuous temperament. He’s undeniably attractive, with a sensuous mouth that twists with a thin, mocking smile. His works lack their sexual charge and sensuous richness. |
Adjective: She had felt the thrill of a sexual attraction. There is a great deal of sensitivity about sexual stereotypes. These are the hormones which control the secondary sexual characteristics. So, what do you know about sexual aids? Well, I do know they are having sexual relations! Whether Basil was really male or female was quite impossible to tell; a fox hides its sexual characteristics very effectively between its legs. The asexual winged forms lay the eggs which hatch into the sexual form. Combining form: Metrosexuals place an emphasis on appearance. Bisexuals are attracted to both men and women. If you want to get particular, lumbersexuals are attracted to a man who has the stereotyped appearance of a lumberjack. |
| Derivatives: | ||
| Adjective: hypersensual Adverb: hypersensually, sensually Noun: hypersensualness, sensualism, sensualist, sensuality, sensualness Verb: sensualize |
Adverb: sensuously Noun: sensuosity, sensuousness |
Adjective: antisexual, asexual, nonsexual Adverb: antisexually, sexually Noun: nonsexual, sexuality, sexualization Verb: sexualize |
| History of the Word: | ||
| Late Middle English in the sense sensory from the late Latin sensualis, which is from sensus (see sense). | Mid-17th century from the Latin sensus meaning sense + -ous. | Mid-17th century from the late Latin sexualis, from the Latin sexus meaning sex. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan…which words are your pet peeves?
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions by exploring the index. You may also want to explore Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, and/or the Properly Punctuated.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Naked Couple by Mysticsartdesign is under the Pixabay License, via Pixabay. Cabana on the Beach at the Omni Cancun Hotel and Villas. This is not a judgement about the Omni Hotel but an appreciation for the gorgeous cabana and beach. It’s so sensuous to my eye!
