saltier; saltiest
1
a
: of, seasoned with, or containing salt
salty foods
b
: being, inducing, or marked by the one of the five basic taste sensations that is suggestive of seawater compare bitter entry 1 sense 1a, sour entry 1 sense 1, sweet entry 1 sense 1, umami entry 2
2
: smacking of the sea or nautical life
4
informal
: feeling or showing resentment towards a person or situation : bitter
I completely forgot about our date and left my girlfriend waiting at the restaurant for over an hour. Now she's all salty.—
Nicole Lane
Nicole LaneThey made me shave my beard and cover up my tattoos, which I was a little salty about.—Jon Niccum
Jon Niccum
: the taste sensation that is suggestive of seawater compare bitter entry 2 sense 1b, sour entry 2 sense 1b, sweet entry 3 sense 2, umami entry 1
Synonyms
Examples of salty in a Sentence
Adjective
I think the soup tastes salty.
salty sea water is safe to swim in, but you really shouldn't swallow it
Recent Examples on the WebMackenzie Chung Fegan, Bon Appétit, 18 Mar. 2024
Stir-Fried Beef With Ginger and Scallions Fish sauce and honey add complex sweet and salty flavor to this quick beef stir-fry.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
As Curiosity moves across Gediz Vallis, this region of Mars is enriched with sulfates, or salty minerals that often form as water evaporates.
—Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
More tropical fruited with sweet pineapple and mango, finishing with a slightly salty citric splash.
—Lana Bortolot, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Uncle walked even faster now, and his salty sweat dripped onto my already sweaty face, causing my eyes to sting.
—Mohammed Naseehu Ali, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Catch whiffs of the salty beach air along every mile.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 Mar. 2024
Research has shown that people may have significant cravings for chocolate, sweets, and salty foods in the late-luteal phase.3 Serotonin decreases during this time.4 Serotonin is a hormone that can affect mood and cause physical symptoms.
—News & Views, Health, 23 Mar. 2024
The team found that the Coral Gables canal was too salty for the flowers to grow.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 17 Aug. 2023
So add a little salty to all of your Easter sweets to keep with the lost tradition.
—Andrea Wurzburger, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2023
The Ravenous Pig Geisler describes the Rav Pig’s pretzel as salty-sweet.
—Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2023
Again, think about textures and flavors when adding the salty.
—Jais Tollette, USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2022
The sweet accentuated the salty.
—Ben Cohen, WSJ, 27 Oct. 2022
It's got the salty from the fish sauce too.
—Gina Loveless, Men's Health, 3 May 2022
Her hair is long and blond and looks summer-camp salty.
—Amy Larocca, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2022
Sometimes, bur is split in half, the sambuus is placed inside and they are eaten together in a sweet-and-salty combo.
—Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2021
Adjective
Who can resist mellow lemon and salty cheese, each noodle so tender and full of care?
—Mackenzie Chung Fegan, Bon Appétit, 18 Mar. 2024
Stir-Fried Beef With Ginger and Scallions Fish sauce and honey add complex sweet and salty flavor to this quick beef stir-fry.
—Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
As Curiosity moves across Gediz Vallis, this region of Mars is enriched with sulfates, or salty minerals that often form as water evaporates.
—Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
More tropical fruited with sweet pineapple and mango, finishing with a slightly salty citric splash.
—Lana Bortolot, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Uncle walked even faster now, and his salty sweat dripped onto my already sweaty face, causing my eyes to sting.
—Mohammed Naseehu Ali, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
Catch whiffs of the salty beach air along every mile.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 Mar. 2024
Research has shown that people may have significant cravings for chocolate, sweets, and salty foods in the late-luteal phase.3 Serotonin decreases during this time.4 Serotonin is a hormone that can affect mood and cause physical symptoms.
—News & Views, Health, 23 Mar. 2024
The team found that the Coral Gables canal was too salty for the flowers to grow.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
Start with a pinch and add more as needed, but stop before your drink starts tasting outright salty.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 17 Aug. 2023
So add a little salty to all of your Easter sweets to keep with the lost tradition.
—Andrea Wurzburger, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2023
The Ravenous Pig Geisler describes the Rav Pig’s pretzel as salty-sweet.
—Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2023
Again, think about textures and flavors when adding the salty.
—Jais Tollette, USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2022
The sweet accentuated the salty.
—Ben Cohen, WSJ, 27 Oct. 2022
It's got the salty from the fish sauce too.
—Gina Loveless, Men's Health, 3 May 2022
Her hair is long and blond and looks summer-camp salty.
—Amy Larocca, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2022
Sometimes, bur is split in half, the sambuus is placed inside and they are eaten together in a sweet-and-salty combo.
—Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'salty.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near salty
Cite this Entry
“Salty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salty. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
salty
adjective
saltier; saltiest
1
: seasoned with or containing salt : tasting of or like salt
2
: having the flavor of or suggesting the sea or things related to the sea
3
: racy entry 1 sense 2
a salty remark
saltiness
noun
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