Meaning & use
sense
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Meanings
nouncountable
One of the body's ways of taking in the world, such as sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.
Grammar: Countable: the five senses.
Patterns
- a sense of smell
- the five senses
Dogs have a strong sense of smell.
Touch is the sense that tells you something is hot.
She lost her sense of taste.
nounsingular
A feeling or awareness about something.
Grammar: Usually with an and of: a sense of pride.
Patterns
- a sense of something
She felt a sense of relief.
He has a good sense of humor.
There was a sense of danger in the air.
noununcountable
Good judgment and practical reasoning.
Grammar: Often common sense.
Patterns
- have the sense to do something
- common sense
He had the sense to ask for help.
It makes sense to leave early.
Use common sense.
nouncountable
A meaning of a word or phrase.
Grammar: In this sense: used in dictionaries.
Patterns
- in the sense that
- in every sense
The word 'bank' has two senses.
In what sense do you mean it?
In a sense, you are right.
verbtransitive
To become aware of something without being told.
Grammar: Takes an object or clause: sense that.
Patterns
- sense something
- sense that something
I sensed that she was upset.
Animals sense danger quickly.
He sensed a change in the mood.
Word forms
| plural | senses |
|---|---|
| third person singular | senses |
| past tense | sensed |
| past participle | sensed |
| -ing form | sensing |
Common combinations
- sense of humor
- She has a great sense of humor.
- common sense
- Use common sense.
- make sense
- The plan makes sense.
- sense of direction
- He has a poor sense of direction.
- in a sense
- In a sense, we all agree.
- sense danger
- Horses sense danger.
Synonyms and how they differ
- feeling
- Feeling is general and may be emotional.
- judgment
- Judgment is the ability to decide well.
- meaning
- Meaning is the wider word for what something conveys.
- detect
- Detect is technical and often involves instruments.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: sense or since? sense or sensible vs. sensitive?
sense vs since
Since concerns time or reason and sounds similar.
sense vs sensible vs. sensitive
Sensible means practical; sensitive means easily affected.
Practice
'It makes sense to bring an umbrella' means bringing an umbrella is...
Choose one answer.
Make sense means be logical or reasonable.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sense”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.