INDEX:
1. a natural ability to know what to do
2. using instinct rather than knowledge
◆◆◆
1. a natural ability to know what to do
▷ instinct /ˈɪnstɪŋkt/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a natural ability to know what you should do without having to learn it or be told it :
▪ He has tremendous business instincts.
first instinct
the first thing you want to do, before you think carefully
▪ My first instinct was to lie about it.
instinct for
▪ Even a very young animal has a strong instinct for self-preservation.
on instinct
▪ I was terrified. I was just working on instinct and trying to survive.
by instinct
because of instinct
▪ Guys who have grown up on a ranch know almost by instinct what needs to be done to keep it running.
natural instinct
▪ A cat’s natural instinct is to chase birds.
maternal instinct
instincts about wanting a baby and knowing how to care for it
▪ I don’t know if it was maternal instinct or what, but I just knew my baby would be okay.
▷ intuition /ˌɪntjuˈɪʃ ə nǁ-tu-, -tju-/ [uncountable noun]
the ability to understand or know things by using your feelings instead of considering the facts :
▪ Sometimes doctors have to base a diagnosis on intuition as much as on scientific tests.
▪ She thought the baby would be a girl, and her intuition was correct.
trust your intuition
do what your intuition makes you want to do
▪ If you think there’s something wrong about the situation, you should trust your intuition.
▷ feel /fiːl/ [transitive verb]
to feel that you know something, without understanding why you feel this :
feel (that)
▪ She felt that something else was going to happen and that it wouldn’t be good.
▪ I felt someone was following me, but when I turned around, there was nobody there.
feel like
▪ I felt like if I didn’t speak up then, I would never do it.
▷ feeling /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ [countable noun]
if you have a feeling that something is true or that something will happen, you feel sure about it, even though you do not know why :
have a feeling (that)
▪ I had a funny feeling that we would meet again
▪ My fiancé's friends are planning a bachelor party for him, and I have a feeling something awful is going to happen.
gut feeling
informal a strong feeling that you are sure is right
▪ Her gut feeling was that he was lying.
▷ sixth sense /ˌsɪksθ ˈsens/ [singular noun]
a mysterious ability to know about something without seeing it, hearing about it, being told about it etc :
have a sixth sense
▪ Parents have a sixth sense when it comes to their children. They know when something’s wrong.
sixth sense about
▪ He told me he had a sixth sense about how his mother was doing.
2. using instinct rather than knowledge
▷ instinctive /ɪnˈstɪnktɪv/ [adjective]
based on instinct rather than on knowledge or thought :
▪ He’s considered a smart, instinctive politician.
▪ His instinctive reaction was to duck when he heard the shot, even though he knew it was pointless.
▪ White jazz seemed old and intellectual, whereas black jazz was vital, swinging, instinctive.
instinctively [adverb]
▪ Instinctively, I knew that something was wrong.
▷ intuitive /ɪnˈtjuːɪtɪv, ɪnˈtjuːətɪvǁ-ˈtuː-, -ˈtjuː-/ [adjective]
an intuitive understanding, judgement, or idea is completely based on feelings, not on facts or reasons, but is still correct :
▪ Great novelists have an intuitive understanding of the workings of human emotions.
▪ She had an intuitive ability to size up people and their capabilities.
▪ Women are supposed to be more intuitive than men, but I don’t know if that’s true.
intuitively [adverb]
▪ Some managers seem to intuitively recognize the need to balance work life with home life.