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
Which word fits from context? Pick one, then reveal the answer. This is exactly how the GRE tests these pairs.
Question 1
The poem's imagery, all shimmering light and soft music, delighted the ear and eye without any hint of physical desire.
Choose: sensual or sensuous
Show answer
Answer: sensuous
'delighted the ear and eye without any hint of physical desire' isolates aesthetic sense-pleasure (sensuous) and explicitly excludes bodily sensual.
Question 2
Advertisers exploited the model's appeal, foregrounding bodily allure to stir the appetites of prospective buyers.
Choose: sensual or sensuous
Show answer
Answer: sensual
'bodily allure to stir the appetites' points to physical/sexual sensual; sensuous denotes refined aesthetic pleasure, not bodily appetite.
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