/ fiːl; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
( felt , felt / felt; NAmE /)
WELL / SICK / HAPPY / SAD, etc.
1.
linking verb to experience a particular feeling or emotion :
[ v - adj ]
The heat made him feel faint.
She sounded more confident than she felt.
I was feeling guilty.
You'll feel better after a good night's sleep.
She felt betrayed.
I feel sorry for him.
[ v + adv. / prep. ]
How are you feeling today?
I know exactly how you feel (= I feel sympathy for you) .
Luckily I was feeling in a good mood.
[ vn ]
He seemed to feel no remorse at all.
[ v - n ]
Standing there on stage I felt a complete idiot.
[ v ]
I felt like a complete idiot.
BE / BECOME AWARE
2.
(not usually used in the progressive tenses) to notice or be aware of sth because it is touching you or having a physical effect on you
SYN sense :
[ vn ]
I could feel the warm sun on my back.
She could not feel her legs.
He felt a hand on his shoulder.
[ vn -ing ]
He felt a hand touching his shoulder.
She could feel herself blushing.
[ vn inf ]
I felt something crawl up my arm.
We felt the ground give way under our feet.
3.
[ vn ] (not usually used in the progressive tenses) to become aware of sth even though you cannot see it, hear it, etc.
SYN sense :
Can you feel the tension in this room?
GIVE IMPRESSION
4.
linking verb (not used in the progressive tenses) to give you a particular feeling or impression :
[ v - adj ]
It felt strange to be back in my old school.
My mouth felt completely dry.
[ v ]
The interview only took ten minutes, but it felt like hours.
It feels like rain (= seems likely to rain) .
Her head felt as if it would burst.
It felt as though he had run a marathon.
How does it feel to be alone all day?
HELP NOTE : In spoken English people often use like instead of as if or as though in this meaning, especially in NAmE :
He felt like he'd run a marathon.
This is not considered correct in written BrE .
TOUCH
5.
linking verb (not used in the progressive tenses) to have a particular physical quality which you become aware of by touching :
[ v - adj ]
The water feels warm.
Its skin feels really smooth.
[ v ]
This wallet feels like leather.
6.
to deliberately move your fingers over sth in order to find out what it is like :
[ vn ]
Can you feel the bump on my head?
Try to tell what this is just by feeling it.
[ v wh- ]
Feel how rough this is.
THINK / BELIEVE
7.
(not usually used in the progressive tenses) to think or believe that sth is the case; to have a particular opinion or attitude :
[ v ( that )]
We all felt (that) we were unlucky to lose.
I felt (that) I had to apologize.
[ vn to inf ]
She felt it to be her duty to tell the police.
[ vn - n ]
She felt it her duty to tell the police.
[ vn - adj ]
I felt it advisable to do nothing.
[ v ]
This decision is, I feel , a huge mistake.
This is something I feel strongly about.
➡ note at think
BE STRONGLY AFFECTED
8.
[ vn ] to experience the effects or results of sth, often strongly :
He feels the cold a lot.
Cathy was really feeling the heat.
She felt her mother's death very deeply.
The effects of the recession are being felt everywhere.
We all felt the force of her arguments.
SEARCH WITH HANDS
9.
[ v ] feel (about / around) (for sth) to search for sth with your hands, feet, etc. :
He felt in his pockets for some money.
I had to feel about in the dark for the light switch.
•
IDIOMS
- feel your age
- feel your ears burning
- feel free (to do sth)
- feel good
- feel (it) in your bones (that ... )
- feel like sth / like doing sth
- feel the pinch
- feel sick
- feel sick to your stomach
- feel your way
- not feel yourself
—more at death , flatter , hard adverb , honour noun , honour verb , jelly , mark noun , million , presence , small adjective
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- feel for sb
- feel sb up
- feel up to sth
■ noun
[ sing. ]
TOUCH
1.
the feel the feeling you get when you touch sth or are touched :
You can tell it's silk by the feel.
She loved the feel of the sun on her skin.
2.
an act of feeling or touching :
I had a feel of the material.
IMPRESSION
3.
the impression that is created by a place, situation, etc.; atmosphere :
It's a big city but it has the feel of a small town.
The room has a comfortable feel to it.
•
IDIOMS
- get the feel of sth / of doing sth
- have a feel for sth
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English fēlan , of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch voelen and German fühlen .