feel
verb, noun
UKfiːlUSfiːl
As a verb: to experience an emotion or a physical sensation. As a noun: a particular sensation or impression that something has.
Example Sentences
I feel happy today.
She can feel the warmth of the sun on her skin.
That sweater has a soft feel to it.
Do you feel prepared for the test tomorrow?
They want to feel the excitement of traveling abroad for the first time.
He tried to feel the subtle differences between the two fabrics by running his fingers over them carefully.
It's important to express how you truly feel, rather than hiding your emotions behind a facade.
I'm beginning to feel anxious about the upcoming job interview.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
Antonyms
How to Use
Conveys emotional or tactile awareness, bridging perception and response.“Feel” is used to describe experiences that can be physical, emotional, or intuitive. In a physical sense, you might say, “I feel the warmth of the sun,” focusing on sensory input like heat or texture. Emotionally, “feel” highlights personal states: “I feel happy,” “I feel anxious,” or “I feel relieved,” showing internal reactions to events or thoughts. Grammatically, “feel” functions as a linking verb when describing emotions (“I feel confident”), but it also serves as a regular verb with objects: “Feel the soft fabric.” In informal instructions, “feel” can invite exploration, as in “Feel free to ask questions,” signaling permission or encouragement. You can also employ “feel” in speculative or reflective contexts, such as “I feel this might be the right decision,” conveying tentative belief or intuition. In professional writing or team discussions, “feel” can soften the tone: “I feel we should review the data again,” making a suggestion sound collaborative. By pinpointing either tangible sensations or intangible emotions, “feel” helps express depth, nuance, and personal perspective. Whether you’re talking about the texture of an object or describing your emotional state, the verb “feel” shows how internal and external perceptions intertwine, shaping human experience and expression.
Alternatives
If you need alternatives for “feel,” consider synonyms like “sense,” “experience,” or “perceive.” “Sense” emphasizes both physical and intuitive impressions, as in “I sense tension in the room.” “Experience” highlights undergoing a particular emotion or state, such as “I experienced joy when I heard the news.” “Perceive” suggests a more deliberate or analytical recognition, for instance, “She perceived a shift in the team’s morale.” These options let you adjust tone and context depending on your focus—tactile awareness, emotional reactions, or analytical observations. For everyday conversation, “sense” fits well to describe mild hunches or light physical impressions, like “I sense it’s going to rain.” In more reflective writing, “experience” can paint a personal narrative of growth or transformation, while “perceive” suits formal or academic settings where observation and interpretation are central. Selecting the right synonym enriches your language by sharpening the meaning of the underlying feeling or awareness you aim to convey. This variety helps you align each statement with its intended audience, whether you want to show empathy, note a subtle development, or simply articulate a fleeting impression.
Writing
When writing with “feel,” specify whether you’re targeting physical or emotional states. For example, “He felt the raindrops on his skin” immerses readers in a direct, sensory experience, helping them imagine the subtle sensations. Meanwhile, “She felt overwhelmed by the workload” offers insight into a character’s emotional landscape, fostering empathy. Strategically, you can place “feel” early in a sentence to immediately draw attention to emotion or sensation—“Feel the urgency of the situation as the clock ticks.” In more formal writing, consider balancing “feel” with evidence or context if you need to maintain credibility: “She felt there was bias in the data, and further analysis confirmed it.” This approach merges subjective impressions with objective grounding. Also, vary your usage by combining “feel” with descriptive language—“He could feel the crisp autumn air roll across his skin.” Finally, be mindful of overreliance on “feel”; too many references to internal states can weigh down your text. Interspersing synonyms like “sense,” “perceive,” or “experience” and elaborating on what prompts that feeling keeps the narrative or argument engaging. By being precise about who feels what, and why, you create a vivid, relatable context that resonates with readers on both practical and emotional levels.
Casual Conversation
In everyday conversation, “feel” helps bridge gaps between external events and personal reactions. You might say, “I feel great about the weekend plans,” to express enthusiasm, or “I feel tired after work,” to share a basic state of being. It’s also common for giving feedback with tact—“I feel we should switch restaurants,” or “I feel like we’re getting off track,” showing you’re voicing an opinion rather than issuing a blunt directive. With friends, “feel” often appears in supportive contexts, like “How do you feel about that?” or “I feel for you,” inviting or expressing empathy. On social media, people use “I feel this movie is underrated” to spark quick discussions, or “I feel you” to show shared sentiment. In lighter banter, “Don’t feel too bad about it” can soften someone’s worries. “Feel” remains flexible: you can use it to refer to gut instincts (“I feel it’s going to rain soon”), random moods (“I feel restless today”), or physical comforts (“I feel chilly; let’s grab a sweater”). This all-around applicability makes “feel” an essential verb for casual chats, where it smoothly conveys what’s happening inside you—whether excitement, concern, or just plain exhaustion—while connecting with others in a genuinely human way.
Etymology
Historically, “feel” comes from Old English “fēlan,” meaning “to touch” or “to perceive by sense.” Related to Old Frisian and Old Saxon words that indicate tactile sensitivity, it originally highlighted the sense of touch. Over centuries, the notion evolved to cover internal emotional awareness, illustrating how language adapts to reflect broader aspects of human perception. By the Middle English period, “feel” already connoted physical and emotional states, a dual meaning that endures today. In philosophical contexts, “feel” can distinguish subjective experience—our personal, immediate sensations—from external observations or logical thought. The word’s lasting significance underscores how crucial emotions and senses have always been in connecting people to the world around them. Whether physically touching, sensing an intangible vibe in a room, or experiencing deep-seated emotions, “feel” remains a fundamental verb, weaving together tactile and emotional realities across cultures and centuries.
