Word family noun sense ≠ nonsense sensibility ≠ insensibility sensitivity ≠ insensitivity senselessness sensitization sensor adjective sensible insensible senseless sensitive ≠ insensitive sensory nonsensical insensate verb sense sensitize adverb sensibly senselessly sensitively ≠ insensitively
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishsensesense1 /sens/ ●●● S1 W1 noun 1 [countable]FEEL HAPPY/FRIGHTENED/BORED ETC a feeling about somethingsense of Afterwards, I felt a great sense of relief. A sense of panic has spread over the country. Employees need the sense of being appreciated.with a sense of something He looked around the room with a sense of achievement.sense that I had the sense that he was lying.2 [singular] the ability to understand or judge somethingsense of humour British English, sense of humor American English (=the ability to understand and enjoy things that are funny) I like Pam – she has a really good sense of humour.sense of direction (=the ability to judge which way you should be going, or what your aims should be) It was dark and he had completely lost his sense of direction.sense of proportion (=the ability to judge what is important and what is not important) Let’s keep a sense of proportion, and not rush to any hasty conclusions.sense of justice/fairness Kids have a natural sense of justice.dress/clothes sense (=the ability to judge which clothes look good)3 [countable]HBH one of the five natural powers of sight, hearing, feeling, taste, and smell, that give us information about the things around ussense of smell/taste/touch etc She has a good sense of smell. Cats have a very acute sense of hearing (=very good, so that they can hear even the smallest sound). Combinations of flavors, textures, and color that can delight the senses. the five senses (=all of the senses) → sixth sense4 [uncountable]SENSIBLE when someone makes sensible or practical decisions, or behaves in a sensible practical wayhave the sense to do something (=behave in a sensible way and do what is best in that situation) You should have had the sense to turn off the electricity first.there is no sense in (doing) something spoken (=it is not sensible to do something) There’s no sense in getting upset about it now.see sense (=realize what is the sensible thing to do) I wish the politicians would see sense and stop the war.talk/knock some sense into somebody (=try to make someone behave in a more sensible way) → common sense5 → make sense6 → make (some) sense of something7 [countable] the meaning of a word, sentence, phrase etc The word ‘record’ has several different senses. Any alteration would spoil the sense of the entire poem.8 [countable] a way in which something can be true or realin a sense/in one sense/in some senses etc (=in one way, in some ways etc) What he says is right, in a sense. The hotel was in no sense (=not at all) comfortable. George was a big man in every sense of the word (=in every way). This is true in a general sense. Communication, in any real sense (=of any real kind), was extremely limited.in a (very) real sense (=used to emphasize that a statement or description is true) A head of a school is a manager in a very real sense.9 → your/her etc senses10 → talk sense11 → regain your sensesCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: a feeling about somethingadjectivesa strong/great sense of somethingHe had a strong sense of responsibility.a real sense of something (=a strong feeling)Children need to feel a real sense of belonging.a deep sense of something (=a very strong feeling)He felt a deep sense of disappointment.a growing sense of something (=becoming stronger)She looked around with a growing sense of unease.a vague/slight sense of something (=not very strong)There was a slight sense of embarrassment.verbsfeel/have a sense of somethingI felt a great sense of pride.give somebody a sense of somethingThe job gave her a sense of control over her life.convey a sense of somethingWe want to convey our sense of excitement to the audience.phrasesa sense of relief/panic/guilt etcWe reached the medical centre with a sense of relief.a sense of purpose/direction (=a feeling that you know what you are trying to achieve)Becoming a mother had given her a new sense of purpose.a sense of urgency (=a feeling that something is urgent)The rescuers felt a real sense of urgency now.a sense of responsibility/duty (=a feeling that you must do something because it is right)Parents try to give their children a sense of responsibility.a sense of loss (=a feeling of sadness for someone or something you no longer have)Many women experience a sense of loss when their children leave home.a sense of achievement/satisfaction (=a feeling that you have achieved something good)Even a small success gives a sense of achievement.a sense of security (=a feeling that you are safe)A lack of trust in the parents can undermine the child's sense of security at home.a false sense of security (=a feeling that you are safe, which is not actually true)They were lulled into a false sense of security.a sense of identity (=a feeling of knowing who you are and how you belong to a community)Change can threaten our fragile sense of identity.a sense of belonging (=a feeling that you belong to a group)The organization tries to foster a sense of belonging through these social events.a sense of occasion (=a feeling that an event is special or important)It was a marvellous day and there was a real sense of occasion. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: the ability to understand or judge somethingphrasesa sense of humour British English, a sense of humor American English (=the ability to laugh and enjoy things that are funny)A good teacher needs a sense of humour.a sense of fun (=the ability to enjoy yourself and make things fun)What I liked about Maria was her sense of fun.a sense of direction (=the ability to judge which way you should be going)The place was completely dark and I lost all sense of direction.a sense of proportion (=the ability to judge how important or unimportant something is)It’s important to keep a sense of proportion.a sense of timing (=the ability to choose the right moment to do or say something)He told the story with an exquisite sense of timing.a sense of justice/fairnessI appealed to her sense of justice.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + sense a good/great sense of somethingHe is a popular boy with a good sense of humour.a natural sense of something (=a natural ability)She did not have a natural sense of direction.a keen sense of something (=a good ability to judge something)As a lawyer, he had a keen sense of the value of political connections.dress/clothes sense (=an ability to choose clothes well)Her dress sense was faultless.business sense (=an ability to make good decisions in business)Few young people have much business sense.verbshave a sense of somethingShe seems to have a great sense of the right thing to say.lose your sense of somethingCome on! Have you lost your sense of humour?lose all sense of somethingHe seemed to have lost all sense of proportion.keep/retain a sense of somethingThroughout it all she retained her sense of fun. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 3: one of the five natural powers of sight, hearing, feeling, taste, and smell, that give us information about the things around usphrasesa sense of smell/taste/touch etcWe lose some of the sense of taste as we get older.the five sensesWe use all five senses to explore the world around us.adjectivesa good/keen/acute sense of somethingPigs have a keen sense of smell.a poor sense of somethingOwls and other predatory birds have a poor sense of smell.verbshave a sense of somethingYou have to have a good sense of hearing to play the violin.lose your sense of somethingI think I’m losing my sense of smell. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 8: a way in which something can be true or realphrasesin a sense (also in one sense)The results are not terribly surprising in one sense.in some sense (also in some senses)George was perfectly right in some senses.in every senseHe is lucky in every sense.in no sense (=not at all)This is in no sense a criticism.in a general/broad senseIn a general sense, a rapid rate of technological change creates uncertainty.in a (very) real sense (=used to emphasise that a statement or description is true)The truth is that in a very real sense most families in Britain are not poor.in a literal sense (=according to the actual or physical meaning of words)I wasn't suggesting that in a literal sense. Examples from the Corpus
sense• I never had a sense of abundance, of being able to splash out and enjoy myself.• This was tolerated as long as they did so out of a sense of liberation at being at home, i.e. through choice not force.• And as he does the room is almost thick with a sense of triumph.• I'm using the word "education" in its broadest sense here.• In the dictionary the different senses of each word are marked by numbers.• Through each sense, children not only react to the world, they also comprehend their world.• Although there were cousins in Los Angeles, too, the warm and sometimes overbearing sense of family was gone.• The notion of randomness is especially unclear, in the sense that it has never been defined in any consistent way.• The Western sense of security was shattered.sense of• Employees get a real sense of satisfaction from helping customers.• The neighborhood has a real sense of community.sense of humour• Maybe I'm losing my sense of humor but I didn't find it at all funny.• Mr Hardman was a popular teacher, renowned for his sense of humor.• I don't like people without a sense of humour, and he has lots.• In character he was kindly, genial, and modest, with an abundant sense of humour.• Jones also has a very self-deprecating sense of humour.• I like Ann - she has such a good sense of humour.• He had an infectious sense of humour, and recently scripted an amusing and satirical pantomime.• Meatball's sense of humour was fraying.• Quiet-spoken and deeply read, he is an instructive and entertaining conversationalist with a sardonic sense of humour.• There's a similar sense of humour and a dissimilar sense of space.• We will miss her friendly smile, sense of humour, wit, and conversation.sense of smell/taste/touch etc• You should share a sense of taste, and approach to life.• A super-efficient sense of smell is no longer vital to our existence.• We do not have a very good sense of smell, and as a result we are often tactless when handling animals.• They lose their keen sense of smell and direction when the wind picks up like this.• Millions of years of evolution have equipped us to delicately manipulate our environment through our sense of touch.• Hence, the blind person may develop a superb sense of smell or highly sensitive hearing.• The first reasonably reliable and convincing learning task for Drosophila involved training them using just this sense of smell.have the sense to do something• If the adventurers have the sense to give Halfling comrades a piggy-back ride, award a few extra EPs.• You didn't even have the sense to use a false name.• I have the sense to choose nutritious, healthy food, and I am lasting pretty well.• The adventurers will presumably have the sense to avoid these.• Or perhaps they would have the sense to be washing their hair when Esquire phones to ask them out.• You have the sense to realise that taking out your anger on him is not the answer and will threaten your relationship.in no sense• They are in no sense wards of the state.• This says that a member can defend itself, but in no sense does it endorse a prolonged campaign of counter-attack.• But in no sense can that be true.• Primarily a political tract, it can in no sense be regarded as an empirical analysis of society.• Social Security is in no sense an insurance program.• Probation should in no sense be seen as a soft option by the judiciary.• It was in no sense a revival of the political dissent symbolised by Cromwellian puritanism.• Philosophy and religion Locke and the sense of sight Locke's philistinism was in no sense an aberration.sensesense2 ●●○ verb [transitive] 1 KNOW somethingif you sense something, you feel that it exists or is true, without being told or having proof Perhaps he sensed your distrust.sense (that) I could sense that something was wrong.sense what/how/who etc Hugo had already sensed how unhappy she was.sense danger/trouble If a prairie dog senses danger, he whistles a warning.2 FINDif a machine senses something, it discovers and records it an electronic device used for sensing intrudersCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: if a machine senses something, it discovers and records itnounssense dangerHe stiffened, sensing danger.sense troubleThe other women, sensing trouble, immediately began to edge away.sense the tensionI could sense the tension in the court as the jury returned.sense somebody’s presence (=be aware that someone is there)He sensed her presence, but didn’t look at her.sense somebody’s fear/excitement/reluctance etcLuke paused and she sensed his reluctance to continue.sense somebody’s mood (=be aware of how someone is feeling)He instinctively sensed her mood and changed the subject. → See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
sense• There are times you get the impression Bulls coach Phil Jackson is tuned into some cosmic wavelength that only he can sense.• From the mid-eighties onwards, I sensed a change in the cultural scene.• Once, he had sensed a presence following him on the trail.• When he finally got there, when he walked through the town, he sensed a tension amongst those who saw him.• We could sense an unwelcoming atmosphere.• They have sensed, as the layman does not, the damage to established ideas which lurks in these relationships.• She sensed his impatience and tried to hurry.• This new dishwasher senses how many dishes are loaded and sets itself accordingly.• I wasn't that thrilled with her performance, and I'm sure she sensed it.• After a while, I sensed that he was no longer listening.• I sensed that she loved her little girl a great deal but was feeling hopelessly lost about how to cope with her.• David sensed the urge to plant his lips on hers immediately and bite into the yielding flesh.sense (that)• Politically, though, it makes sense.• Atlanta is heaven, perhaps not in the strictest Baptist sense, for the young and eager of the region.• Chopra could sense ghosts drifting around the castle.• Which, in a sense is true.• I learned he had the same goofy sense of humor I was cursed with.• Anyway, he pointed out, by and large Hindus have a sense of humour.• One wishes to see the entire full-length feature, to get a more complete sense of their lives.• The laughter faded away, leaving me with a sense of unease.• Fanny sensed that the Mansfield family needed her help.Origin sense1 (1300-1400) Old French sens, from Latin sensus, from sentire “to feel” 