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 WebChris Morris, Variety, 6 Dec. 2023
One forkful might unearth a nugget of pork — salty, garlicky, subtly smoky — that has become electrified with pique.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023
Cooked bacon: Chopped and mixed in for a salty, meaty bite.
—Joy Howard, Southern Living, 5 Dec. 2023
On salumi plates at restaurants like Lodi in Rockefeller Center, mortadella balances out the saltier, drier and darker meats like prosciutto and culatello with its silky texture and pastel color scheme.
—Julia Moskin, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023
The highly salty underground brine corrodes equipment, an expensive challenge to resolve.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023
In blunter terms, paraphrasing a saltier expression, mess around and find out.
Democrats should have learned that lesson from the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, which created the independent counsel.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Nov. 2023
Top the blondies with flaky sea salt for a salty pop to contrast the sweetness.
—Emily Nabors Hall, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2023
Some individuals also tend to be salty sweaters—meaning their sweat often tastes salty, stings their eyes, or feels gritty on their skin—and require more sodium to rehydrate after exercise.
—Rebecca Jaspan, Mph, Rd, Health, 21 Nov. 2023
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
See More
Adjective
Foxx’s salty reading of Bunker-style bigotry struck a chord, and the show had a healthy six-season run.
—Chris Morris, Variety, 6 Dec. 2023
One forkful might unearth a nugget of pork — salty, garlicky, subtly smoky — that has become electrified with pique.
—Tim Carman, Washington Post, 5 Dec. 2023
Cooked bacon: Chopped and mixed in for a salty, meaty bite.
—Joy Howard, Southern Living, 5 Dec. 2023
On salumi plates at restaurants like Lodi in Rockefeller Center, mortadella balances out the saltier, drier and darker meats like prosciutto and culatello with its silky texture and pastel color scheme.
—Julia Moskin, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023
The highly salty underground brine corrodes equipment, an expensive challenge to resolve.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023
In blunter terms, paraphrasing a saltier expression, mess around and find out.
Democrats should have learned that lesson from the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, which created the independent counsel.
—The Editors, National Review, 21 Nov. 2023
Top the blondies with flaky sea salt for a salty pop to contrast the sweetness.
—Emily Nabors Hall, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2023
Some individuals also tend to be salty sweaters—meaning their sweat often tastes salty, stings their eyes, or feels gritty on their skin—and require more sodium to rehydrate after exercise.
—Rebecca Jaspan, Mph, Rd, Health, 21 Nov. 2023
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
See More
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.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near salty
Cite this Entry
“Salty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salty. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
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Kids 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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