: the one of the basic physical senses of which the skin contains the chief end organs and of which the sensations of touch and temperature are characteristic : touch
(2)
: a sensation experienced through this sense
b
: generalized bodily consciousness or sensation
c
: appreciative or responsive awareness or recognition
experience a feeling of safety
2
a
: an emotional state or reaction
a kindly feeling toward the boy
b
feelings plural: susceptibility to impression : sensitivity
the remark hurt her feelings
3
a
: the undifferentiated background of one's awareness considered apart from any identifiable sensation, perception, or thought
feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it.
the feelings that once moved me are gone
emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses.
the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence
affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.
a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family
sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.
her feminist sentiments are well known
passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.
revenge became his ruling passion
Example Sentences
Noun I noticed tingling feelings in my fingers. She had a queasy feeling in her stomach. I had the feeling of something crawling across my foot. We enjoyed the feeling of walking barefoot in the sand. He had no feeling in his right leg. He's been troubled by feelings of guilt. There's no point in trying to hide your feelings. He spoke with feeling about the injustice he had seen. Have you no feeling for the plight of the homeless? I can see that you have strong feelings about this subject. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The event was reminiscent of the London Olympics in 2012, when the city was overwhelmed by a feeling of togetherness. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 15 Sep. 2022 Her guitar’s prowess, passion and temperament is reminiscent of axe-slinging legend Jeff Beck at his most incendiary and feeling-filled. A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 14 Sep. 2022 Maybe my Marni skepticism is fueled by a feeling that female designers are the stars of this week, driving all the ideas forward. Rachel Tashjian, Harper's BAZAAR, 14 Sep. 2022 This combination of gospel feeling with classical technique was seen throughout Lewis’ career. Aaron Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 13 Sep. 2022 Plus, the conditioner nourishes hair, leaving a silky smooth feeling behind post-shower. Cristina Montemayor, Men's Health, 13 Sep. 2022 In interviews, students described feeling left in the dark for much of the lengthy investigation on behalf of the university. Darcy Costello, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2022 And don't spend one second feeling guilty about it! Nicol Natale, Woman's Day, 12 Sep. 2022 The early deference to quiet diplomacy gave way to a sense of impatience, and even a feeling of betrayal. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2022 See More
Word History
First Known Use
Noun
12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)