salty

1 of 2

adjective

ˈsȯl-tē 

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

3

a

: piquant

b

: earthy, crude

salty language

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

They made me shave my beard and cover up my tattoos, which I was a little salty about.

—Jon Niccum

saltily

ˈsȯl-tə-lē 

adverb

saltiness

ˈsȯl-tē-nəs 

noun

salty

2 of 2

noun

: 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

Adjective

• brackish
• briny
• saline
• salt

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 Web

Adjective

Rather than self-serve soft drinks or salty snacks, the bodega contains an artisan wine club with bottles featuring crisp, funky labels, $10 miso potato chip chocolate bars, a $24 bottle of olive oil, various colorful incense, sage and crystals. —Morgan Fischer, The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024

Amanda’s seafood was the standout of the two, with Colicchio saying Dan’s tuile was salty and leek undercooked. —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1912, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

salty

adjective

ˈsȯl-tē 

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

Medical Definition

salty

adjective

ˈsȯl-tē 

saltier; saltiest

: of, seasoned with, or containing salt

saltiness

-tē-nəs 

noun