Sensual vs Sensuous
sensual
bodily/physical
sensuous
aesthetically pleasing to the senses
How to tell them apart
sensUAL = the body, physical, carnAL pleasures (AL = carnAL). sensuous = the softer word poets coined for beauty pleasing to the senses. UAL leans to the body; UOUS leans to art.
Test yourself
Fill in the blank: “Only one of these words means bodily/physical. That word is ______.”
Choose: sensual or sensuous
Show answer
Answer: sensual
Sensual means bodily/physical, which matches bodily/physical. Sensuous means aesthetically pleasing to the senses, so it is the wrong choice here.
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