feeling

Pluralfeelings

1. 1
   emotionnouncountable

   An emotion or mental impression, such as joy, sorrow, or unease.

   A feeling of dread crept over him as the lights went out.

   Mixed feelings about the move kept her awake for nights.

   UsageUsually a feeling of + noun, as in a feeling of relief. For two opposite emotions, people say mixed feelings about something.

   Similaremotion

2. 2
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of feel.

   He was feeling the weight of the decision all week.

   Feeling her way through the unlit hall, she found the door.

3. 3
   body sensationnouncountable or uncountable

   Physical sensation, especially that perceived through the skin.

   The numbness faded and feeling slowly returned to his fingers.

   She had no feeling in her left arm after sleeping on it.

   UsageUsually feeling in a part of the body: no feeling in his arm, lost all feeling in her toes.

   Similarsensation

   Oppositenumbness

4. 4
   hunchnouncountable

   An intuitive sense or hunch about something, not based on clear reasoning.

   He had a nagging feeling that they had met somewhere before.

   She had a strong feeling the bus would be late, so she left the house twenty minutes early.

   UsageUsually have or have got a feeling plus a clause: I have a feeling it will rain, a funny feeling that.

   Similarhunch, suspicion, sense, intuition, instinct

   Note

   The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" (1987) uses the plain form, where the singer simply says he has one. With for, the word shifts toward an instinctive grasp. Someone with no feeling for what can be said to a fragile person lacks tact, not a premonition.

5. 5
   emotionnounusually plural

   A person's sensitivity as something others can hurt or spare, or their general emotional well-being, usually as feelings.

   His careless joke hurt her feelings more than he realized.

   How can you laugh at her loss? Have you no feeling at all?

   UsageUsually plural: hurt someone's feelings (not incorrect: hurt his feeling). The singular appears in have no feeling, meaning not caring at all.

   Similarsensibility, sensitivity

6. 6
   attractionnouncountable

   Romantic or emotional attraction toward someone.

   He developed feelings for his coworker over the summer.

   He tried to ignore the feeling, but he knew he was falling for her.

   UsageUsually have or develop feelings for someone. The feeling is mutual means the other person feels the same.

   Similaraffection, attraction, fondness

   Note

   The singular does appear, though. Chappell Roan's "Good Luck, Babe!" (2024) uses it for one stubborn attraction that someone keeps trying to push down, and that single attraction is the point.

7. 7
   opinionnouncountable or uncountable

   An opinion or attitude held about a matter.

   The general feeling among staff was that the changes were overdue.

   She voiced strong feelings about how the funds should be spent.

   UsageOften the general feeling is that + clause, or strong feelings about something. It sounds softer than opinion.

   Similaropinion, view, sentiment, attitude

   Note

   Opinion shades into impulse here, which is why George J. W. Goodman's joke in Supermoney (1972) works: when tempted to speculate in cocoa, lie down until the feeling goes away. The line treats a market view as if it were a passing dizzy spell.

8. 8
   nounusually singular

   The mood or overall sense that comes across from a place, a situation, or a piece of creative work.

   Despite the crowds, the old harbor town keeps a quiet, unhurried feeling.

   The novel's dreamlike feeling comes from its slow, drifting sentences.

   UsageUsually with an adjective: a homey feeling to it, a strange feeling about the place. Atmosphere is more formal, vibe more casual.

   Similaratmosphere, mood, air, ambience, tone

   Note

   Here the feeling belongs to a place or a work, not to anyone who feels it, which sets it apart from an emotion.

Showing meanings only. Show all 10