feel
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /fiːl/
ipa: [fiːɫ]
rhymes: -iːl
Forms: form: feels
form: feeling
form: felt
form: felt
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: feel
form: feel
form: felt
form: feel
form: feelest
form: felt
form: feltst
form: feltest
form: feels
form: feeleth
form: felt
form: feel
form: felt
form: feel
form: felt
form: feel
form: -
form: feeling
form: felt
Etymology: From Middle English felen, from Old English fēlan, from Proto-West Germanic *fōlijan.
Senses: examples: text: You can feel a heartbeat if you put your fingers on your breast.
text: I felt cold and miserable all night.
text: I did feel a complete fool after stumbling on the same rock again.
topics: heading
glosses: To use or experience the sense of touch.
To become aware of through the skin; to use the sense of touch on.
examples: text: I felt my way through the darkened room.
text: I felt my way cautiously through the dangerous business maneuver.
topics: heading
glosses: To use or experience the sense of touch.
To find one's way (literally or figuratively) by touching or using cautious movements.
topics: heading
glosses: To use or experience the sense of touch.
To receive information by touch or by any neurons other than those responsible for sight, smell, taste, or hearing.
examples: text: He felt (about) for the light switch in the dark.
topics: heading
glosses: To use or experience the sense of touch.
To search by sense of touch.
examples: text: I can feel the sadness in his poems.
text: Teach me to feel another's VVoe; / To hide the Fault I ſee; / That Mercy I to others ſhovv, / That Mercy ſhow to me.
ref: 1738, [Alexander Pope], “Stanza X”, in The Universal Prayer. […], London [actually Edinburgh]: […] [Thomas Ruddiman] for R[obert] Dodsley, […], →OCLC, page 6:
text: Captain Edward Carlisle, soldier as he was, martinet as he was, felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, her alluring smile ; he could not tell what this prisoner might do.
ref: 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
text: British journalists shun complete respectability, feeling a duty to be ready to savage the mighty, or rummage through their bins. Elsewhere in Europe, government contracts and subsidies ensure that press barons will only defy the mighty so far.
ref: 2013 August 10, Lexington, “Keeping the mighty honest”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
topics: heading
glosses: To sense or think emotionally or judgmentally.
To experience an emotion or other mental state about.
examples: text: I feel that we need to try harder.
text: We felt it (to be) our duty to call the police.
text: They promised me eternal happiness; And brought me garlands, Griffith, which I feel I am not worthy yet to wear.
ref: 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
text: When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him.
ref: 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter XIX, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
topics: heading
glosses: To sense or think emotionally or judgmentally.
To think, believe, or have an impression concerning.
examples: text: He obviously feels strongly about it.
text: She felt even more upset when she heard the details.
text: Then we relapsed into a discomfited silence, and wished we were anywhere else. But Miss Thorn relieved the situation by laughing aloud, and with such a hearty enjoyment that instead of getting angry and more mortified we began to laugh ourselves, and instantly felt better.
ref: 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
topics: heading
glosses: To sense or think emotionally or judgmentally.
To experience an emotion or other mental state.
examples: text: I feel for you and your plight.
text: [She] feels with the dignity of a Roman matron.
ref: 1790 November, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. […], London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], →OCLC:
text: who feel for all mankind
ref: 1738, Alexander Pope, Epilogue to the Satires:
topics: heading
glosses: To sense or think emotionally or judgmentally.
To sympathise; to have the sensibilities moved or affected.
glosses: To be or become aware of.
examples: text: Feel my wrath!
glosses: To experience the consequences of.
examples: text: It looks like wood, but it feels more like plastic.
text: It felt really strange to be back in my old kindergarten.
text: This is supposed to be a party, but it feels more like a funeral!
glosses: To seem (through touch or otherwise).
examples: text: I don't want you back here, ya feel me?
text: Shoot, errbody have the zipper jacket / And half of these thugs have the glove to match, ya feel me?
ref: 2002, “Work It”, in Under Construction, performed by Missy Elliott:
glosses: To understand.
Synonyms: word: feel
word: grope
word: handle
word: touch
Hypernyms: word: perceive
Hyponyms: word: feel around
Derived terms: feelable
feel around
feel bad
feel-bad
feel eight feet tall
feeler
feel for
feel free
feel-good
feelgoodery
feel-goodery
feel-good factor
feel-goodism
feelie
feeling
feel in one's water
feel in one's waters
feel like
feel like death
feel like oneself
feelness
feel nine feet tall
feel no pain
feel oneself
feel one's legs
feel one's oats
feel one's way
feel out
feelsome
feel someone's collar
feel someone's pain
feel sorry for
feel ten feet tall
feelth
feel the Bern
feel the burn
feel the heat
feel the pinch
feel twelve feet tall
feel up
feel up to
feely
fellowfeel
forefeel
I feel you
misfeel
not feeling it
outfeel
overfeel
refeel
underfeel
unfeel
Related terms: word: finger
word: thumb