English Reference
adjective

sensual

adj.
US /ˈsɛnʃəwəɫ/ UK /sˈɛnsjuːəl/ sen·su·al

  1. 01 C2 Proficiency LiteraryFormal

    relating to the physical senses like sight and touch.

    pertaining to the physical senses; sensory in nature. Often used in literary or philosophical contexts to contrast with the spiritual.

    Simple

    The poet described the sensual world of the garden in great detail.

    In context

    In his later essays, the philosopher explores the tension between sensual experience and abstract reasoning.

When it comes to letting her hair down, Akhmetshina is suitably uninhibited in a sensual Bésame mucho.

The Guardian· 20 Aug 2026

From Late Latin sensualis (“endowed with feeling, sensual”), from Latin sensus (“feeling, sense”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin sensus
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated