SENSE Synonyms: 254 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'sense' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sense are common sense , judgment , and wisdom . While all these words mean "ability to reach intelligent conclusions," sense implies a reliable ability to judge and decide with soundness, prudence, and intelligence. // a choice showing good sense

Q: Where would 'common sense' be a reasonable alternative to 'sense'?

The words common sense and sense can be used in similar contexts, but common sense suggests an average degree of such ability without sophistication or special knowledge. // common sense tells me it's wrong

Q: When would 'judgment' be a good substitute for 'sense'?

Although the words judgment and sense have much in common, judgment implies sense tempered and refined by experience, training, and maturity. // they relied on her judgment for guidance

Q: In what contexts can 'wisdom' take the place of 'sense'?

In some situations, the words wisdom and sense are roughly equivalent. However, wisdom implies sense and judgment far above average. // a leader of rare wisdom

sense 1 of 2

noun

ˈsen(t)s

Definition of sense

as in feeling

an indefinite physical response to a stimulus a strange sense of discomfort brought on by the room's strong colors

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as in intellect

the ability to learn and understand or to deal with problems although he has little formal education, he is a man of considerable practical sense

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in prudence

the ability to make intelligent decisions especially in everyday matters you have the sense to handle anything that comes up

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as in meaning

the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action got the general sense of the poem

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as in reasoning

the thought processes that have been established as leading to valid solutions to problems your argument simply shows no sense

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sense

2 of 2

verb

as in to feel

to have a vague awareness of the deer seemed to sense danger

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as in to understand

to have a clear idea of I did not sense the full meaning of his cryptic warning until much later

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sense contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sense are common sense, judgment, and wisdom. While all these words mean "ability to reach intelligent conclusions," sense implies a reliable ability to judge and decide with soundness, prudence, and intelligence.

a choice showing good sense

Where would common sense be a reasonable alternative to sense?

The words common sense and sense can be used in similar contexts, but common sense suggests an average degree of such ability without sophistication or special knowledge.

common sense tells me it's wrong

When would judgment be a good substitute for sense?

Although the words judgment and sense have much in common, judgment implies sense tempered and refined by experience, training, and maturity.

they relied on her judgment for guidance

In what contexts can wisdom take the place of sense?

In some situations, the words wisdom and sense are roughly equivalent. However, wisdom implies sense and judgment far above average.

a leader of rare wisdom

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sense

Noun

In the 20th century, FDR rejected bank nationalization to develop a common-sense securities framework that drew on the best of both the private and public sectors. — William R. Gruver, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026 By evening, the Moon enters your 9th House and restores your sense of possibility. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026

Verb

Its potential applications span communications, sensing, and electronic warfare. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026 The customers on Transporter-18 ranged from tech powerhouses like Google to scrappy startups like Starfish Space, alongside top remote sensing companies such as Planet Labs and ICEYE. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sense

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sense

Noun

As Reynolds notes, this freedom cut against rock’s foundational idea of immediacy, the direct communication of feeling between artist and audience.

— Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
The usual symptoms include high fever, headache, stiffness and an overall feeling that resembles the flu.

— David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of feeling

Noun

An ace trash talker, Ali took potshots at Frazier’s intellect and cast him as an ally of the white establishment.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026
Fundamentalists will claim that the moral code that follows from their faith needs no intellect to follow.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of intellect

Noun

Short-term rates went to 5% and change, Treasury bills paid more than investment grade corporates, and savers who had spent fifteen years being punished for prudence suddenly got paid handsomely for doing nothing.

— Jason Kirsch, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
In those conditions, United’s prudence makes financial sense.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of prudence

Noun

Old-school luxury takes on new meaning since the refurbishing and renovations that took place here in 2016.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
So the fact that Zoe Kazan’s East of Eden is his first job since a notable 2024 that included Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers and Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders suggests the epic family drama holds particular meaning for him.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of meaning

Noun

If anyone can reconstruct Apéry’s reasoning, the odd values of zeta may finally be proven irrational.

— Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
Give them the economics, the reasoning beneath the numbers, and partner with organizations like Economics Arkansas, which has equipped our teachers to do exactly that since 1962.

— Michael Poore Special to the Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of reasoning

Verb

At the Irish Rep, director Ciarán O’Reilly has brought O’Neill’s expressionist howl back for a swift, sturdy, smaller-scale revival that now feels unnervingly on-the-pulse.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Japanese firms and their employees increasingly feel unwelcome and unsafe in China.

— Anniek Bao,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of feel

Verb

For some reason--some great reason, that only the editors on the other side of the room understand--the reporters for at least the Democrat-Gazette's story (unlike some national outlets) decided to call Skip Rutherford.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Firms like Edward Jones and LPL Financial, meanwhile, are rapidly adopting AI tools to gain financial insights, but also to better understand and communicate with their customers.

— Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of understand

Noun

In all of the sketchbook entries reproduced here, Ross seems to offer a bridge between the representation of emptiness and the lived sensation of it.

— Ryan Sullivan, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Akhtar is at his best here because the sensations remain vivid even when their significance is obscure.

— Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of sensation

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sensations

sense

sensed

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Style

“Sense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sense. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sense

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Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

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Games & Quizzes