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feel definition

feel (fēl)

transitive verb felt, feeling feel′·ing

  1. to touch or handle in order to become aware of; examine or test by touching or handling
  2. to perceive or be aware of through physical sensation to feel rain on the face
    1. to experience (an emotion or condition) to feel joy, pain, etc.
    2. to be moved by or very sensitive to to feel death keenly
  3. to be aware of through intellectual perception to feel the weight of an argument
  4. to think or believe, often for unanalyzed or emotional reasons he feels that we should go

Etymology: ME felen < OE felan, akin to Ger fühlen & L palpare, to stroke < ? IE base *pel-, to fly, flutter, cause to tremble > OE fīfealde, Ger falter, butterfly

intransitive verb

  1. to have physical sensation; be sentient
  2. to appear to be to the senses, esp. to the sense of touch the water feels warm
  3. to have the indicated emotional effect it feels good to be wanted
  4. to try to find something by touching; grope (for)
  5. to be or be aware of being to feel sad, sick, certain, etc.
  6. to be moved to sympathy, pity, etc. (for)

noun

  1. the act of feeling; perception by the senses
  2. the sense of touch
  3. the nature of a thing as perceived through touch the feel of wet sawdust
  4. an emotional sensation or effect the feel of happiness
  5. instinctive ability or appreciation a feel for design
feel Idioms

feel like

Informal to have an inclination or desire for I feel like some ice cream

feel (like) oneself

to feel normally healthy, fit, etc.

feel one's way

to move or advance cautiously, by or as if by groping

feel out

to find out the opinions or attitude of by a cautious and indirect approach

feel strongly about

to have decided opinions concerning

feel up

Slang to fondle sexually: a mildly vulgar usage

feel up to

Informal to feel capable of

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
feel Synonyms

feel

n.


feel

v.

  1. To examine by touch

    touch, handle, finger, explore, stroke, palm, caress, manipulate, press, squeeze, fondle, tickle, paw, feel for, fumble, grope, grasp, grapple, grip, clutch, clasp, run the fingers over, brush, pinch, poke, probe, prod, palpate, twiddle, contact, fiddle with*.

  2. To experience

    sense, perceive, apprehend, be aware of, be conscious of, observe, be moved by, respond, be sensible of, welcome, know, intuit, be affected by, be sensitive to, have the experience of, undergo, go through, taste, take to heart.

    Antonyms ignore*, be insensitive to, be unaware of.

  3. To believe

    consider, hold, sense, think; see assume 1, believe 1.

  4. To give an impression through touch

    appear, exhibit, suggest; see seem.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

feel Usage Examples

Object

  • bit: But last week he said: " I suppose I feel a bit easier now than I did then.

Preposition: at

  • home: Any new parents would be especially made to feel at home!

Noun phrase with adjective complement

  • guilty: I feel a bit guilty, what with some of you traveling 600 odd miles and me traveling 10 minutes.

Adjective modifier

  • airy: Internally the church has a wonderfully light and airy feel, helped greatly by the glazed ridge to its roof.

Adjective complement

  • confident: DEVELOPMENT: Leader: Does anyone feel confident enough to tell me what this word means?

Used with why or when

  • when: Or we may be overwhelmed by how vast and free life suddenly feels when our minds are not on the hunt.
feel usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

feel quotes

There was a faith-healer of Deal Who said,'Although pain isn't real, If I sit on a pin 22 And it punctures my skin, I dislike what I fancy I feel.'

-Anonymous

An editor must always be with the peopleöthink with themöfeel with themöand he need fear nothing, he will always be rightöalways be strongöalways free.

-Bennett,James Gordon, Snr

Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel: they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, preciselyas men would suffer†it is thoughtless to condem them, or laugh at them, if they seek to domorethancustomhas pronounced necessary for their sex.

-Bronte«  , Charlotte

feel quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"feel." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/feel>

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feel. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/feel

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