salty

salty — adjective

1. having a flavour like salt, or holding so much salt that the food or drink taste

1.形容詞B1
釋義

having a flavour like salt, or holding so much salt that the food or drink tastes noticeably of it

例句

The soup was too salty because Antonia added a second spoonful of fish sauce.

too + adjective for excess salt

Dylan always brings salty snacks like pretzels and salted peanuts to the movie night.

collocation: salty snacks

同義詞
  • salted

    focuses on the process of salt having been added rather than the resulting taste; 'salted peanuts' but not 'salted soup'

  • briny

    literary or technical term for water tasting strongly of sea salt; less common in everyday speech

  • savoury

    refers to any non-sweet flavour, not specifically salt; a much broader category in British English

反義詞
  • sweet

    the opposite basic taste; describes food with a high sugar content

  • bland

    lacking flavour, including salt; used when salt is expected but absent

  • fresh

    describes water with no salt content, the opposite of briny

用法筆記

When describing food, 'too salty' is a common complaint; 'lightly salted' indicates a small amount of salt was used. This is the only sense used in literal, non-figurative contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The food is salt' (using the noun instead of adjective).
✅The food is salty.
💡'salt' is a noun, 'salty' is the adjective form.
❌I like salt foods' (confusing the noun and adjective).
✅I like salty foods.
💡use the adjective 'salty' to describe the taste.

2. feeling irritated, offended, or unhappy about something, often more strongly tha

2.形容詞B2
釋義

feeling irritated, offended, or unhappy about something, often more strongly than the situation seems to deserve

例句

Mert got really salty after losing three rounds of the online game to a twelve-year-old.

collocation: get salty (become irritated)

Xiu was salty about not being invited to the project team, even though she had said she was too busy.

salty about + noun phrase for cause of irritation

同義詞
  • bitter

    a stronger, more lasting resentment; 'bitter' implies long-term grudge, whereas 'salty' is more momentary

  • cranky

    irritable and in a bad mood; less specific to feeling slighted than 'salty'

  • sore

    informal term for being upset about a loss or criticism; 'sore loser' is the closest fixed phrase

反義詞
  • chill

    calm and relaxed, the opposite of being upset over something minor

  • cool

    unbothered and composed; 'keeping cool' when things do not go your way

用法筆記

Common in gaming culture and online forums. A person described as 'salty' is seen as overreacting or being a bad loser. The emotion is usually mild irritation rather than deep anger. Frequently used in the phrase 'get salty' (become annoyed) or 'salty about' (annoyed about a specific thing).

常見錯誤

❌He was salty when his dog died.' (using slang for serious grief).
✅He was salty when his teammate took the last slice of pizza.
💡this sense is for mild, often trivial irritation, not genuine sadness or grief.
❌She is salty.' (without context — ambiguous between slang and literal salt taste).
✅She is salty about missing the bus.
💡always include 'about + cause' to clarify the slang meaning.

3. making sharp, amusingly critical remarks that tease or mock someone in a playful

3.形容詞B2
釋義

making sharp, amusingly critical remarks that tease or mock someone in a playful, non-serious way

例句

Baraka left a salty comment on his friend's holiday photo, joking that the sunset looked like a cheap screensaver.

salty comment + playful criticism

Mayumi's salty sense of humour makes her fun at parties — she roasts her friends without ever being truly mean.

collocation: salty sense of humour

同義詞
  • sassy

    bold and cheeky in a lively way; 'sassy' is more about attitude than clever criticism

  • witty

    funny and intelligent in a quick, clever way; 'witty' lacks the slightly critical edge of 'salty'

  • sarcastic

    using irony to mock or express contempt; 'sarcastic' can be meaner and less playful than 'salty'

反義詞
  • kind

    gentle and considerate in one's remarks, the opposite of a pointed teasing style

  • earnest

    sincere and serious, without any playful or mocking intent

用法筆記

This sense overlaps with 'sassy' or 'sarcastic' but with an added layer of cleverness. Unlike sense 2 (ANNOYED UPSET), the speaker here is not actually irritated — the saltiness is a performance for comic effect. Unlike sense 4 (SWEARING), the language is pointed but not vulgar.

常見錯誤

❌The comedian's salty jokes offended everyone.' (confusing playful with truly offensive).
✅The comedian's salty jokes about airline food had the crowd in stitches.
💡this sense is humorous, not genuinely offensive.
❌She gave a salty speech about climate change at the conference.' (using slang in a formal context).
✅She made a salty remark about her colleague's terrible fashion sense over drinks.
💡reserved for casual, playful settings.

4. using rude, swear-filled language that is deliberately coarse or intended to sho

4.形容詞C1
釋義

using rude, swear-filled language that is deliberately coarse or intended to shock or provoke other people

例句

Ravindra was removed from the online forum for posting salty messages full of bad language aimed at other users.

salty messages + consequences (removed from forum)

The taxi driver shouted salty insults at the cyclist who cut in front of him.

collocation: salty insults

同義詞
  • crude

    lacking refinement or politeness; broader than 'salty', can include sexual or toilet humour

  • foul-mouthed

    habitually using offensive language; more specific to swearing habits

  • profane

    showing disrespect toward sacred things; more formal and narrower in scope than 'salty'

反義詞
  • polite

    respectful and considerate in speech; the direct opposite of salty language

  • clean

    free from swear words or offensive content; 'keep it clean' is a common request

用法筆記

This is the strongest of the slang senses. Unlike sense 2 (mild irritation) or sense 3 (playful teasing), this sense implies genuinely offensive language. Often used to describe someone whose speech has crossed a line into verbal aggression or vulgarity.

常見錯誤

❌He told a salty joke at the dinner party.' (vague — could mean any slang sense).
✅He was fired for sending salty emails full of swear words to his manager.
💡this sense needs a clear context of swearing or vulgarity.
❌Her salty talk during the meeting was hilarious.' (using in wrong register).
✅Her salty language after the referee's bad call shocked everyone in the stadium.
💡this sense implies genuinely offensive, not playful, language.

salty — noun