# feeling

/ˈfiɫɪŋ/ (US) · /fˈiːlɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/feeling
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. emotion

noun · CEFR A1

an emotion that you experience, such as happiness, sadness, or anger.

For teachers: an emotional state or reaction; a conscious subjective experience of emotion.

- She had a strong feeling of joy when she saw her old friend.
- The music evoked a profound feeling of nostalgia among the older members of the audience, reminding them of their youth.

### 2. physical sensation

noun · CEFR A2

the ability to feel things through your skin or body.

For teachers: the physical power of sensation; the tactile capacity to perceive through touch.

- I lost all feeling in my toes because of the freezing cold weather.
- After the local anaesthetic was administered, the patient reported a complete loss of feeling in the affected area.

### 3. opinion or attitude

noun · CEFR B1

an opinion or belief about something that is not based on facts alone.

For teachers: a belief, judgment, or attitude, often based on intuition rather than objective evidence.

- My feeling is that we should wait a few days before deciding.
- The general feeling among the board members was that the merger should be postponed until the market stabilised.

### 4. intuition

noun · CEFR B1

a guess or a sense that something is true, even if you cannot explain why.

For teachers: an intuitive perception or 'gut' instinct regarding a situation or future event.

- I had a strange feeling that I was being watched in the park.
- Despite the lack of physical evidence, the detective had a persistent feeling that the witness was withholding crucial information.

### 5. sensitive or sympathetic

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

showing that you understand and care about other people's emotions.

For teachers: characterised by or showing great sensitivity, emotion, or empathy.

- He gave a feeling speech about the importance of helping others.
- The pianist delivered a deeply feeling performance, capturing the delicate melancholy of the composer's final work.

## Examples

- I have a good feeling about this new job.
- After walking in the snow for an hour, she lost all feeling in her toes.
- The architect designed the building to evoke a feeling of openness and light, using glass walls to connect the interior with the surrounding gardens.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.