Meaning & use

visceral

adjective·Advanced

Relating to deep inward feelings rather than reason; instinctive and emotionally intense.

See it in a sentence

She felt a visceral fear the moment the lights went out.

The horror film provoked a visceral reaction from the entire audience.

A note on using this word

Visceral originally referred to the body's internal organs, so it still carries a sense of a physical, gut-level reaction.

Words with a similar meaning

instinctivegut

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

rationaldetached

Make it your own

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