feel·ing (f  l ng)n. 1. a. The sensation involving perception by touch. b. A sensation experienced through touch. c. A physical sensation: a feeling of warmth. 2. An affective state of consciousness, such as that resulting from emotions, sentiments, or desires: experienced a feeling of excitement. 3. An awareness or impression: He had the feeling that he was being followed. 4. a. An emotional state or disposition; an emotion: expressed deep feeling. b. A tender emotion; a fondness. 5. a. Capacity to experience the higher emotions; sensitivity; sensibility: a man of feeling. b. feelings Susceptibility to emotional response; sensibilities: The child's feelings are easily hurt. 6. Opinion based more on emotion than on reason; sentiment. 7. A general impression conveyed by a person, place, or thing: The stuffy air gave one the feeling of being in a tomb. 8. a. Appreciative regard or understanding: a feeling for propriety. b. Intuitive awareness or aptitude; a feel: has a feeling for language. adj. 1. Having the ability to react or feel emotionally; sentient; sensitive. 2. Easily moved emotionally; sympathetic: a feeling heart. 3. Expressive of sensibility or emotion: a feeling glance. feel ing·ly adv.Synonyms: feeling, emotion, passion, sentiment These nouns refer to complex and usually strong subjective human response. Although feeling and emotion are sometimes interchangeable, feeling is the more general and neutral: "Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity" (William Wordsworth). Emotion often implies the presence of excitement or agitation: "Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion" (T.S. Eliot). Passion is intense, compelling emotion: "They seemed like ungoverned children inflamed with the fiercest passions of men" (Francis Parkman). Sentiment often applies to a thought or opinion arising from or influenced by emotion: We expressed our sentiments about the government's policies. The word can also refer to delicate, sensitive, or higher or more refined feelings: "The mystic reverence, the religious allegiance, which are essential to a true monarchy, are imaginative sentiments that no legislature can manufacture in any people" (Walter Bagehot). See Also Synonyms at opinion. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Adv. | 1. | feelingly - with great feeling; "she spoke feelingly of her early childhood" unfeelingly - without compassionate feelings; "unfeelingly, she required her maid to work on Christmas Day" |
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