— feelingly , adv. — feelingness , n.
/fee"ling/ , n.
1. the function or the power of perceiving by touch.
2. physical sensation not connected with sight, hearing, taste, or smell.
3. a particular sensation of this kind: a feeling of warmth; a feeling of pain.
4. the general state of consciousness considered independently of particular sensations, thoughts, etc.
5. a consciousness or vague awareness: a feeling of inferiority.
6. an emotion or emotional perception or attitude: a feeling of joy; a feeling of sorrow.
7. capacity for emotion, esp. compassion: to have great feeling for the sufferings of others.
8. a sentiment; attitude; opinion: The general feeling was in favor of the proposal.
9. feelings , sensibilities; susceptibilities: to hurt one's feelings.
10. fine emotional endowment.
11. (in music, art, etc.)
a. emotion or sympathetic perception revealed by an artist in his or her work: a poem without feeling.
b. the general impression conveyed by a work: a landscape painting with a spacious feeling.
c. sympathetic appreciation, as of music: to play with feeling.
adj.
12. sensitive; sentient.
13. readily affected by emotion; sympathetic: a feeling heart.
14. indicating or characterized by emotion: a feeling reply to the charge.
[ 1125-75; ME; see FEEL, -ING 1 , -ING 2 ]
Syn. 5. FEELING, EMOTION, PASSION, SENTIMENT refer to pleasurable or painful sensations experienced when one is stirred to sympathy, anger, fear, love, grief, etc. FEELING is a general term for a subjective point of view as well as for specific sensations: to be guided by feeling rather than by facts; a feeling of sadness, of rejoicing. EMOTION is applied to an intensified feeling: agitated by emotion.
PASSION is strong or violent emotion, often so overpowering that it masters the mind or judgment: stirred to a passion of anger. SENTIMENT is a mixture of thought and feeling, esp. refined or tender feeling: Recollections are often colored by sentiment. 6. sympathy, empathy, tenderness, sensitivity, sentiment. 12. emotional, tender. 13. impassioned, passionate.
Ant. 5, 6. apathy. 12. cold.