Making sense of sensuous vs. sensual

Whenever I see the words sensuous and sensual in a client’s manuscript, my skin gets prickly all over. They often mix up the two words.

Sensuous means to appeal to the senses or to have strong sensory appeal, as in The Klingon found the Grapok sauce sensuous.

Sensual pertains to fleshly or sexual appeal, as in The Klingon warrior found B’etor’s ample bosom quite sensual.

The problem arises, I suspect, because sensuous sounds kind of sexy while sensual sounds comparatively a bit blah. But that’s just my personal reaction to the words.

Need an editor? Having your book, business document or academic paper proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. Whether you come from a big city like New York, New York, or a small town like Bantam, Connecticut, I can provide that second eye.