sensual may apply to any gratification of a bodily desire or pleasure but commonly implies sexual appetite with absence of the spiritual or intellectual.
fleshpots providing sensual delights
animal stresses the physical as distinguished from the rational nature of a person.
sensuous implies gratification of the senses for the sake of aesthetic pleasure.
the sensuous delights of great music
sensual tends to imply the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of the physical appetites as ends in themselves.
a life devoted to sensual pleasures
luxurious suggests the indulgence of sensuous pleasure inducing bodily ease and languor.
a luxurious hotel
voluptuous implies more strongly an abandonment especially to sensual pleasure.
a voluptuous feast
Example Sentences
A sharp observer with a pleasing eye for sensual detail, Jaffrey weaves a richly textured story in which she effortlessly mingles quotidian dramas with historic events including the partition of India. Michelle Green, People, 6 Nov. 2006And Rousseau, in his Confessions, wrote of the sensual pleasure he found in simple meals of peasant cheeses and breads. Andrea Lee, Gourmet, May 2004 Certain fragrances apparently heighten sensual experiences. the sensual feel of a velvet shirt against the skin
Recent Examples on the WebHer bulbous sandals, produced from a single piece of leather, and cute stackable jewelry, all bear the mark of her hand: clever, quirky, and sensual in olive greens and bright tangerine. Steff Yotka, Vogue, 22 July 2022 The visual, sensual conflict of ideologies is heady — not in terms of propagandistic, Marxist argument, but in the poetic conflict of words, thoughts, emotions. Armond White, National Review, 26 Aug. 2022 Yep, twerking, sensual movement, and pole culture have gone mainstream. Kourtney Pope, refinery29.com, 25 Aug. 2022 The way Alicent helped Rhaenyra get dressed in sensual, dim lighting! Jordyn Taylor, Men's Health, 22 Aug. 2022 Now, over the years, garter toss dances have become a bit more sensual, with men using their teeth and putting on elaborate routines to go under the bride’s dress and retrieve the garter from her thigh. Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 22 Aug. 2022 His delivery of the melodies is as smooth as velvet and as sensual as a whisper on the back of your neck. Tony Le Calvez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Aug. 2022 All manner of outburst act as conduits to our animal nature, that vibrant sensual essence unconstrained by social code and psychological defense. Melissa Holbrook Pierson, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2022 In the pictures, as well as in the chapter on the biggest party of all, New Year’s Eve 2000, excerpted below, a sense of the sensual appeal of the dancefloor shines through. Steve Adelman, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Late Latin sensualis, from Latin sensus sense