What does feeling mean?
A feeling is an emotional experience — happiness, grief, anger, fear, affection — or a physical sensation registered by the body, such as warmth, pain, or tingling. The word also extends to intuitions and impressions held without firm proof, as in "I have a feeling he'll be late," and to a refined sensitivity, as in "a feeling for music." It appears constantly in everyday speech: people speak of having mixed feelings, harboring no hard feelings after a disagreement, trusting their gut feeling, or hurting someone's feelings. The plural form, "feelings," usually denotes a person's emotional state taken as a whole, which is why phrases like "be mindful of their feelings" are so widespread. Flexible in register yet precise in effect, "feeling" bridges mind and body, making it one of the most versatile and indispensable words for describing human inner life.
An emotional state or subjective experience such as joy, sorrow, or anger.
"Her feeling of pride was evident as she accepted the award."
A physical sensation perceived through the senses or within the body.
"The anesthetic left him with no feeling in his jaw for hours."
An intuition, impression, or opinion held without strong supporting evidence.
"I have a feeling we've met somewhere before."
(Participial use) Sensitive, sympathetic, or capable of emotion; occasionally used attributively, especially in literary contexts (e.g. a feeling heart).
"She was a feeling person who wept at every sad film."
This adjectival use stems from the present participle of "feel" and is now chiefly literary.
The plural usually refers to a person's emotions or emotional state considered collectively, particularly in contexts involving sensitivity or offense (e.g. "hurt feelings", "no hard feelings").
"Try not to be careless with other people's feelings."
"Hard feelings" has been softening quarrels since the 1600s — and your "gut feeling" literally reflects the nerve-rich gut often called the body's second brain.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of feeling
The noun "feeling" derives from the verb "feel," recorded in Old English as fēlan, meaning to perceive through touch. Its deeper origin is uncertain: it descends from a Proto-Germanic root also seen in related Germanic languages such as German (fühlen), though some scholars have speculated about a link to Latin palpare, "to caress or stroke" — a connection not firmly established. The sense broadened over the centuries from tactile perception to emotion, reflecting the long-standing English habit of describing both bodily sensation and sentiment with the same vocabulary.
Related word forms
How feeling is actually used
"Feeling" is common across all registers. In formal writing, "sentiment" may be preferred when discussing opinions expressed at length. The plural "feelings" typically refers to emotions considered collectively (especially in "hurt feelings"), while the singular can cover both emotion and physical sensation.
Easily confused with feeling
"Felling" means cutting down trees (from the verb fell), while "feeling" refers to emotions or sensations.