feel Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an intuitive awareness;
    • he has a feel for animals" or "it's easy when you get the feel of it
  2. noun the general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people
    flavour; look; tone; flavor; feeling; smell; spirit.
    • the feel of the city excited him
    • a clergyman improved the tone of the meeting
    • it had the smell of treason
  3. noun a property perceived by touch
    tactile property.
  4. noun manual stimulation of the genital area for sexual pleasure
    • the girls hated it when he tried to sneak a feel
  5. verb undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
    experience.
    • She felt resentful
    • He felt regret
  6. verb come to believe on the basis of emotion, intuitions, or indefinite grounds
    find.
    • I feel that he doesn't like me
    • I find him to be obnoxious
    • I found the movie rather entertaining
  7. verb perceive by a physical sensation, e.g., coming from the skin or muscles
    sense.
    • He felt the wind
    • She felt an object brushing her arm
    • He felt his flesh crawl
    • She felt the heat when she got out of the car
  8. verb be conscious of a physical, mental, or emotional state
    • My cold is gone--I feel fine today
    • She felt tired after the long hike
    • She felt sad after her loss
  9. verb have a feeling or perception about oneself in reaction to someone's behavior or attitude
    • She felt small and insignificant
    • You make me feel naked
    • I made the students feel different about themselves
  10. verb undergo passive experience of:"We felt the effects of inflation"
    • her fingers felt their way through the string quartet
    • she felt his contempt of her
  11. verb be felt or perceived in a certain way
    • The ground feels shaky
    • The sheets feel soft
  12. verb grope or feel in search of something
    • He felt for his wallet
  13. verb examine by touch
    finger.
    • Feel this soft cloth!
    • The customer fingered the sweater
  14. verb examine (a body part) by palpation
    palpate.
    • The nurse palpated the patient's stomach
    • The runner felt her pulse
  15. verb find by testing or cautious exploration
    • He felt his way around the dark room
  16. verb produce a certain impression
    • It feels nice to be home again
  17. verb pass one's hands over the sexual organs of
    • He felt the girl in the movie theater

WordNet

Feel transitive verb
Etymology
AS. flan; akin to OS. giflian to perceive, D. voelen to feel, OHG. fuolen, G. fühlen, Icel. falma to grope, and prob. to AS. folm paim of the hand, L. palma. Cf. Fumble, Palm.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Felt ; present participle & verbal noun Feeling
Definitions
  1. To perceive by the touch; to take cognizance of by means of the nerves of sensation distributed all over the body, especially by those of the skin; to have sensation excited by contact of (a thing) with the body or limbs.
    Who feel Those rods of scorpions and those whips of steel. Creecn.
  2. To touch; to handle; to examine by touching; as, feel this piece of silk; hence, to make trial of; to test; often with out.
    Come near, . . . that I may feel thee, my son. Gen. xxvii. 21.
    He hath this to feel my affection to your honor. Shak.
  3. To perceive by the mind; to have a sense of; to experience; to be affected by; to be sensible of, or sensetive to; as, to feel pleasure; to feel pain.
    Teach me to feel another's woe. Pope.
    Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing. Eccl. viii. 5.
    He best can paint them who shall feel them most. Pope.
    Mankind have felt their strength and made it felt. Byron.
  4. To take internal cognizance of; to be conscious of; to have an inward persuasion of.
    For then, and not till then, he felt himself. Shak.
  5. To perceive; to observe. Obs. Chaucer.
Feel intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To have perception by the touch, or by contact of anything with the nerves of sensation, especially those upon the surface of the body.
  2. To have the sensibilities moved or affected.
    [She] feels with the dignity of a Roman matron. Burke.
    And mine as man, who feel for all mankind. Pope.
  3. To be conscious of an inward impression, state of mind, persuasion, physical condition, etc.; to perceive one's self to be; -- followed by an adjective describing the state, etc.; as, to feel assured, grieved, persuaded.
    I then did feel full sick. Shak.
  4. To know with feeling; to be conscious; hence, to know certainly or without misgiving.
    Garlands . . . which I feel I am not worthy yet to wear. Shak.
  5. To appear to the touch; to give a perception; to produce an impression by the nerves of sensation; -- followed by an adjective describing the kind of sensation.
    Blind men say black feels rough, and white feels smooth. Dryden.
    Acts xvii. 27.
Feel noun
Definitions
  1. Feeling; perception. R.
    To intercept and have a more kindly feel of its genial warmth. Hazlitt.
  2. A sensation communicated by touching; impression made upon one who touches or handles; as, this leather has a greasy feel.
    The difference between these two tumors will be distinguished by the feel. S. Sharp.

Webster 1913