saltier

Saltier is the comparative form of the adjective salty. It is used to describe higher salt content, greater brininess, or more saline conditions in foods, liquids, or environments.

In culinary contexts, a soup, sauce, or broth can be described as saltier than another when its salt concentration is greater. In natural sciences and cooking, saltiness is discussed in terms of taste thresholds or measured salinity in water.

In science, saltier can describe water with higher salinity, typically reported in practical salinity units (psu) or parts per thousand (ppt). The ocean averages about 35 ppt; water with higher salinity—saltier water—can affect taste, density, and chemical processes.

As a figurative usage, saltier can describe language, humor, or behavior that is more provocative, crude, or cheeky, as in saltier jokes. This sense is informal and may be inappropriate in formal writing.

Etymology: salt is from Old English sealt, related to Proto-Germanic *saltaz; salty formed by adding the -y suffix; the comparative saltier adds the -er ending, with the letter i before the suffix due to the -y ending. The superlative is saltiest.

See also: salt, salty, salinity.