sense 1 of 2

1
as in feeling
an indefinite physical response to a stimulus a strange sense of discomfort brought on by the room's strong colors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
3
4
5

sense

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun sense contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of sense are common sense, judgment, and wisdom. While all these words mean "ability to reach intelligent conclusions," sense implies a reliable ability to judge and decide with soundness, prudence, and intelligence.

a choice showing good sense

Where would common sense be a reasonable alternative to sense?

The words common sense and sense can be used in similar contexts, but common sense suggests an average degree of such ability without sophistication or special knowledge.

common sense tells me it's wrong

When would judgment be a good substitute for sense?

Although the words judgment and sense have much in common, judgment implies sense tempered and refined by experience, training, and maturity.

they relied on her judgment for guidance

In what contexts can wisdom take the place of sense?

In some situations, the words wisdom and sense are roughly equivalent. However, wisdom implies sense and judgment far above average.

a leader of rare wisdom

Examples of sense in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Creating the sense of a multiverse of experiences, even within a set of documentary stories, is a big challenge for a documentary that clocks in under 90 minutes. Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2024 With the new year right around the corner, Lopez hopes to maintain a sense of balance, but also to grow. Jackie Fields, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
Worse, Mike senses that Danny is looking through the closed coffin back at him. Jared Del Rosso, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024 Having always prioritized his work in the art world as a gallery owner, Andy still mixes up his kids’ names and doesn’t have a clue about his wife’s drug dependency, when everyone else in his circle seems way ahead of him in sensing that something was up with her habitual pill-popping. Tomris Laffly, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sense 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sense
Noun
  • From purple-tinged periwinkle to vivid true blue, the monochromatic layering adds dimension but keeps the overall feeling calm.
    Sandra S. Soria, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Nov. 2024
  • The Cathedral quarterback remembered the feeling of struggling as a young team a year ago.
    BENJAMIN ROYER, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • With a gifted intellect and a solid work ethic, her genuine kindness truly sets her apart.
    Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Digital capitalism thrives on exploiting users’ time, intellect, and data.
    Gerui Wang, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • What Are The Candidates Missing? Healthcare spending has ballooned to levels that defy fiscal prudence, but healthcare dollars aren’t going to the people who provide it.
    Richard Menger MD MPA, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
  • The market may have wanted a more upbeat outlook for 2025 to support analysts’ projections of low-double-digit percentage earnings growth, but Danaher is known for its conservatism and prudence regarding forward guidance.
    Jeff Marks, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • When people are made aware of death, those systems of meaning become even more critical to their psychological functioning.
    Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
  • In the movie, a well meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel (Reeves) meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker (Ansari) and a wealthy capitalist (Rogen).
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Their reasoning is that tariffs are the equivalent of taxes on goods purchased by American consumers.
    Vicki M. Young, Sourcing Journal, 1 Nov. 2024
  • The original poster's (OP) reasoning, which touched on the high likelihood of genetic disabilities in their family, caused a rift, leading her sisters to block her on social media and her mother to uninvite her from Christmas.
    Maria Morava, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Purdy, however, felt McCaffrey’s impact was obvious.
    Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
  • Things immediately feel amiss the moment the Sisters first meet their charming tormentor.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Meet with investment bankers to understand market dynamics.
    Marc Emmer, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Bukele understands that El Salvador is for the Salvadorans.
    Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The spiral toy is designed to rest against your clit, while the internal nub creates a sensation of buzzy fullness.
    Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 3 Nov. 2024
  • As if a world so placid and unresponsive could excite only the opposite sensations in him.
    Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near sense

Cite this Entry

“Sense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sense. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on sense

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!