- Of, relating to, or derived from the senses.
- Appealing to or gratifying the senses.
- Readily affected through the senses.
- Highly appreciative of the pleasures of sensation.
sensuously sen'su·ous·ly adv.
SYNONYMS sensuous, sensual, luxurious, voluptuous. These adjectives mean of, given to, or furnishing satisfaction of the senses. Sensuous usually applies to the senses involved in aesthetic enjoyment, as of art or music: “The sensuous joy from all things fair/His strenuous bent of soul repressed” (John Greenleaf Whittier). Sensual more often applies to the physical senses or appetites, particularly those associated with sexual pleasure: “Of music Dr. Johnson used to say that it was the only sensual pleasure without vice” (William Seward). Luxurious suggests a surrender to physical comfort leading to a delightful feeling of well-being: stayed in a luxurious, flower-filled suite with a crystal chandelier and thick oriental rugs. Voluptuous principally implies abandoning oneself to pleasures, especially sensual pleasures: “Lucullus . . . returned to Rome to lounge away the remainder of his days in voluptuous magnificence” (J.A. Froude).
