feeling

1 of 2

noun

feel·​ing ˈfē-liŋ How to pronounce feeling (audio)
1
a(1)
: 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
b
: the overall quality of one's awareness
c
: conscious recognition : sense
4
a
: often unreasoned opinion or belief : sentiment
What are your feelings about this subject?
b
: presentiment
I have a feeling she's not going to like this.
5
: capacity to respond emotionally especially with the higher emotions
found out how much feeling his mother really had
6
: the character ascribed to something : atmosphere
The place had the feeling of a haunted house.
7
a
: the quality of a work of art that conveys the emotion of the artist
the feeling of the outdoors has been realized with sky-blue ceiling and natural colorsPlaythings
b
: sympathetic aesthetic response
a person of fine feeling
8

feeling

2 of 2

adjective

1
b
: easily moved emotionally
2
obsolete : deeply felt
3
: expressing emotion or sensitivity
feelingly adverb
feelingness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for feeling

feeling, emotion, affection, sentiment, passion mean a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation.

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

Examples of feeling in a Sentence

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
Work hard to accommodate people’s feelings—their heads, hearts, and hopes—and your change effort can be one of the success stories. Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 There's less reliable polling on the extent of their feelings, but activists are speaking out. Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, ABC News, 28 Nov. 2023 The slowdown has not so far improved U.S. adults' feelings about the economy. Compiled Bydemocrat-Gazette Stafffrom Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 28 Nov. 2023 But the wives were still well aware of Kody's stronger feelings for Robyn. Dory Jackson, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023 Smith would later deal with his lack of feeling, or his lack of something else, by slapping the host of the 2022 Academy Awards, Chris Rock, who had just made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s hair, evidently trespassing on a universe of personal complexity. Andrew O’Hagan, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023 And to hear my daughters sing it at home now too — what an amazing feeling. Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 27 Nov. 2023 Workers who think their manager is ineffective reported lower satisfaction in their job as well as lowers feelings of being valued and motivated than those who thought their bosses were competent. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 26 Nov. 2023 Zero flakes or buildup and the cleanest feeling scalp ever. 4/29 Dr. Barbara Sturm Super Anti-Aging Serum Dr. Barbara Sturm's powerful antiaging cocktail uses unique ingredients like skullcap and purslane (rich in omega-3 fatty acids) to lock-in moisture. Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 26 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'feeling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of feeling was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near feeling

Cite this Entry

“Feeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feeling. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

feeling

1 of 2 noun
feel·​ing ˈfē-liŋ How to pronounce feeling (audio)
1
a
: a sense by which the hardness or softness, hotness or coldness, or heaviness or lightness of things is found out
especially : touch entry 2 sense 3
b
: a sensation experienced through this sense
2
a
: a state of mind
a feeling of loneliness
b
plural : general emotional condition : sensibilities
hurt their feelings
3
: an opinion or belief often when not based on evidence
a feeling that it will rain
4
5

feeling

2 of 2 adjective
feelingly adverb
feelingness noun

Medical Definition

feeling

noun
feel·​ing ˈfē-liŋ How to pronounce feeling (audio)
1
a
: the capacity or ability to experience physical sensations (such as pain, touch, or temperature) that is mediated chiefly by end organs and sensory receptors in the skin
b
: a sensation experienced through this capacity
2
: an emotional state or reaction
guilt feelings
3
: the overall quality of one's awareness especially as measured along a pleasantness-unpleasantness continuum

More from Merriam-Webster on feeling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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