From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsensationsen‧sa‧tion /senˈseɪʃən/ ●●○ noun 1 [countable, uncountable]FEEL HOT/COLD/TIRED ETC a feeling that you get from one of your five senses, especially the sense of touchburning/prickling/tingling etc sensation One sign of a heart attack is a tingling sensation in the left arm.sensation of a sensation of heat2 [countable]IMAGINE a feeling that is difficult to describe, caused by a particular event, experience, or memorysensation that Caroline had the sensation that she was being watched.strange/curious/odd sensation It was a strange sensation – I felt I’d been there before.3 [uncountable]FEEL HOT/COLD/TIRED ETC the ability to feel things, especially through your sense of touch Jerry realized that he had no sensation in his legs.4 INTERESTING[countable usually singular] extreme excitement or interest, or someone or something that causes thiscause/create a sensation The sex scenes in the film caused a sensation.pop/fashion/media etc sensation the latest pop sensation from EnglandCOLLOCATIONS – Meanings 1 & 2adjectivespleasantShe was enjoying the pleasant sensation of being in the warm water.unpleasant I felt a rather unpleasant sensation in my chest.strange/odd As we looked at each other I had a strange sensation.a physical sensationBabies soon learn to recognize the physical sensation of hunger.a burning sensationThese chemicals can cause a burning sensation or rash.a prickling sensation (=a feeling that your skin is stinging)He felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck.a tingling sensation (=a feeling that your skin is stinging slightly)She felt a tingling sensation, like a mild electric shock.a choking sensation (=a feeling that you cannot breathe)A choking sensation filled my throat.verbsfeel/have/experience a sensationHe felt a tingling sensation down his left side.cause/produce a sensationThe drug can produce strange sensations in some patients.
Examples from the Corpus
sensation• They were a sensation, a stirring, something she could not have sworn came from outside herself.• The drug helps to improve muscle function and sensation after an accident.• An involuntary action is set up which causes him to withdraw his hand even before he experiences any sensation of pain.• She felt a cold sensation as the icy water dripped down her back.• A cold sensation suddenly ran down my spine.• This is the heady sensation that most travelers relish, the freedom that comes from feeling unaccounted for and unaccountable.• A common sign of brain tumours is a tingly, numb sensation in the toes and fingertips.• She was not in the least embarrassed and felt something of an opposite sensation, which had no name.• It really was a rather pleasant sensation.• The real sensation came, however, during the fourth number.• The fear of pain can be worse than the sensation of pain.• The sensation is a thrilling one, and I enjoy it immensely.• Eventually, when the pitch is low and the voice is forward, you will feel the tingling sensation on your lips.burning/prickling/tingling etc sensation• When this happens the esophagus becomes irritated and inflamed, causing a burning sensation that has the potential to awaken a sleeper.• But the thick, hardened layers of dead skin sometimes press on the nerve, causing a burning sensation when you walk.• She felt him draw her closer up against his body - and suddenly a tingling sensation started somewhere inside her.• A prickling sensation between my eyes made my nose run and white-hot adrenalin scalded the subcutaneous layer beneath my skin.• A prickling sensation running the length of her spine told her that Rourke had made an appearance.• Later I experienced a curious burning sensation during micturition.• Suspense in fiction, that tingling sensation that makes us keep turning the pages, seems to arise in two ways.sensation that• For some people this creates an overload of sensation that is too much to bear.• Be sensitive to the particular patterns of sensations that comfort your child.• The time zone changes as we went west further increased our sensation that time was no longer a hard fact.• One of those illusions was my persistent sensation that my personality was dissolving.• The mask made him seem menacing, and she suddenly had the sensation that with Lucenzo she was playing with fire.• The sensation that ran through her body into her limbs weakened and scared her.• Suspense in fiction, that tingling sensation that makes us keep turning the pages, seems to arise in two ways.• How I had welcomed his physicality, his touch: the tiniest sensation that yes, it might be all right.cause/create a sensation• Her Persian lamb coat had overshadowed the treasurer's three-year-old mink, and her hat had caused a sensation.• The see-through trouser suit she had designed herself had caused a sensation at Rachel Ansorge's party.• In I 779 he created a sensation with a pocket chronometer, called No. 36.• The news caused a sensation because it proved that Dorlin still had gold deposits.• The opera caused a sensation in Moscow.• This caused a sensation in Western countries where the threat of serious infectious disease had come to be considered remote.• This is a show that would cause a sensation in London or New York.Origin sensation (1600-1700) Medieval Latin sensatio, from Late Latin sensatus “having sense”, from Latin sensus; → SENSE1 