Synonyms of instinct

instinct

noun

as in tendency

a usually innate ability or desire to perform a specific activity

Pouncing on mice is a cat's natural instinct.

We needed all of our survival instincts to make it through the weeks lost at sea.

Related Words

• tendency
• skill
• inclination
• impulse
• disposition
• predisposition
• propensity
• predilection
• affinity
• bias
• penchant
• urge
• capability
• proclivity
• need
• partiality
• turn
• drive
• competence
• habitude
• power
• proficiency
• facility
• capacity
• potential
• leaning
• faculty
• talent
• aptitude
• specialty
• gift
• knack
• genius
• endowment
• flair
• forte
• speciality
• specialism
• bent
• head

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of instinct

Your practical instincts can help turn emotion into a workable agreement. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026

Naheim is only 22 years old and hasn’t been to a lot of weddings, which maybe explains why, at Mood, his first instinct was to grab a military green fabric that Christian put back. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026

People might be skeptical about his size (listed as 6 feet), but so many quarterbacks in college and the NFL have proven their worth with skills, instincts and intelligence. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

If a fake portal hints at a serious health problem, your first instinct may be to find out what happened. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026