Meaning & use

viscerally

adverb·Advanced

In a way that relates to deep, instinctive feelings rather than reasoned thought.

See it in a sentence

Audiences reacted viscerally to the film's most violent scenes, gasping before they could think.

She viscerally disliked the plan, even though she couldn't explain exactly why.

A note on using this word

Viscerally describes a gut-level emotional reaction, often used to contrast instinct with careful, rational analysis.

Words with a similar meaning

instinctivelyintuitively

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

Words with an opposite meaning

rationally

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