What does feel mean?
Feel is one of the most fundamental verbs in English, covering two closely related human experiences: sensing the world through touch and experiencing emotions or internal states. It can describe physical contact ("feel the texture of the cloth"), emotional experience ("I feel happy today"), perception of conditions ("it feels cold in here"), or even the holding of an opinion ("I feel that we should wait"). As a noun, it refers to the quality of something's surface or atmosphere, as in "the feel of the room." Because it serves as a linking verb before adjectives rather than adverbs, English speakers say "I feel bad," not "I feel badly," when describing emotion. Derived forms such as feeling and feeler extend its reach across everyday speech, making it an essential and remarkably versatile word.
To perceive through touch; to experience an emotion, sensation, or belief.
"He felt the cold metal handle under his fingers."
As a linking verb, feel takes an adjective rather than an adverb: "I feel tired."
An act of touching something, a bodily sensation, or the characteristic impression given by something.
"The room had a cozy, welcoming feel."
The plural refers to multiple acts of touching, sensations, or characteristic impressions.
"The different textures gave her contrasting feels."
"Feel" is one of the oldest words in English — over a thousand years old — and it's one of the rare verbs that works equally well for your fingertips and your heart.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of feel
Feel comes from the Old English verb fēlan, meaning to touch or perceive, which traces back to the Proto-Germanic root *fōlijaną. It is closely related to modern German fühlen and Dutch voelen, which carry the same range of sensory and emotional meanings. The word has been in continuous use throughout the recorded history of English, gradually expanding from purely tactile sense into emotional and intuitive senses over the centuries.
Related word forms
How feel is actually used
"Feel" functions both as an ordinary transitive verb and as a linking verb before adjectives ("I feel cold," not "I feel coldly"). In informal speech, "feel like" commonly introduces clauses describing desires or impressions. "Feel" as an expression of opinion is somewhat less formal than "believe" or "think."
Easily confused with feel
Feel means to experience or touch genuinely, while feign means to pretend or fake something.