Sense

/sɛns/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A faculty by which the body perceives an external stimulus; each of the systems in the body that interpret physical data.

The five senses are sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell.

A feeling or perception produced through the senses.

She has a strong sense of smell and can tell when food is burning.

A general awareness or understanding.

He had a sense of the importance of the task at hand.

A sane and reasonable attitude or judgment.

It makes sense to leave early to avoid traffic.

Meaning or significance.

There seems to be a sense of urgency in her voice.

verb

To perceive by one or more of the senses.

I can sense that something is wrong.

To become aware of or to detect.

The device can sense temperature changes in the environment.

To derive or infer a meaning.

You can sense his frustration from his tone.

From Latin 'sensus', meaning 'feeling, perception, sense'.

common sense

Sound judgment based on a simple perception of the situation.

make sense

To be understandable or logical.

lost in sense

To be confused or bewildered about a situation.

in a sense

To some degree; to a certain extent.

sense of humor

The ability to appreciate and express humor.

sensation

A physical feeling or perception resulting from something that happens to or comes into contact with the body.

sensible

Chosen in accordance with wisdom or prudence; likely to be of benefit.

nonsense

Spoken or written language that has no meaning or makes no sense.

To understand or comprehend.

Do you get the sense of what I'm saying?

To have a good perception of things.

He's got a good sense; he knows how to read people.