- [singular] sense (of something) an understanding about something; an ability to judge something
- One of the most important things in a partner is a sense of humour (= the ability to find things funny or make people laugh).
- He has a very good sense of direction (= finds the way to a place easily).
- (figurative) She has lost all sense of direction in her life (= the idea of what she should do in her life).
- Always try to keep a sense of proportion (= of the relative importance of different things).
- a sense of rhythm/timing
- a sense of fun/adventure
- Readers gain a real sense of what life was like in the camp.
- Alex doesn't have any dress sense (= does not know which clothes look attractive).
Extra Examples- He seems to have lost his sense of reality.
- I have absolutely no fashion sense.
- She had a great sense of style.
- a natural sense of justice
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- good
- great
- wonderful
- …
- have
- sense of
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- [uncountable] good understanding and judgement; knowledge of what is sensible or practical behaviour
- You should have the sense to take advice when it is offered.
- There's no sense in (= it is not sensible) worrying about it now.
- Can't you talk sense (= say something sensible)?
- There's a lot of sense in what Mary says.
Which Word? sensible / sensitivesensible / sensitiveSensible and sensitive are connected with two different meanings of sense.see also common sense, good sense- Sensible refers to your ability to make good judgements:
- She gave me some very sensible advice.
- It wasn't very sensible to eat all that chocolate at once, was it?
- Sensitive refers to how easily you react to things, how easily you are offended or upset, or how much you are aware of and able to understand other people and their feelings:
- a soap for sensitive skin
- This movie may upset a sensitive child.
- a sensitive and caring man
Extra Examples- He at least had the sense to call the police.
- Some people have more money than sense.
- How could you even think of doing such a thing? Have some sense!
- I wish my daughter would learn some sense.
- If you had an ounce of sense, you'd never have agreed to help him.
- There's a lot of sense in what he's saying.
- There's no sense in going home before the concert.
- He was respected for his humour and his good sense.
- I developed a certain road sense during my years as a cyclist.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- complete
- perfect
- good
- …
- have
- display
- show
- …
- sense in
- have more money than sense
- make little sense
- (not) an ounce of sense
- …
- [countable] the meaning that a word or phrase has; a way of understanding something
- That word has three senses.
- in … sense The word ‘love’ is used in different senses by different people.
- Globalization in the broadest sense is nothing new.
- The word ‘perspective’ is being used here in a technical sense.
- He was a true friend, in every sense of the word (= in every possible way).
- In a sense (= in one way) it doesn't matter any more.
- In some senses (= in one or more ways) the criticisms were justified.
- (formal) In no sense can the issue be said to be resolved.
- in the sense of something I am using ‘cold’ in the sense of ‘unfriendly’.
- in the sense that… I don't mean that the press ought to be free in the sense that no one ought to pay for it.
- There is a sense in which we are all to blame for the tragedy.
Extra Examples- This is a tragedy in the fullest sense of the word.
- These teachings do not constitute a religion in the conventional sense.
- The novel is about education in its widest sense.
- In a very real sense, post-war repression was the continuation of the war.
- In a certain sense, justice was done.
- I don't have any friends in the usual sense of the word.
- I am not writing poetry in the traditional sense.
- He and I were no longer friends in any meaningful sense.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- broad
- loose
- wide
- …
- have
- in a sense
- in every sense of the word
- in a very real sense
- in the true sense of the word
- …
- [countable] one of the five powers (sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch) that your body uses to get information about the world around you
- the five senses
- sense of something Dogs have a keen sense (= strong sense) of smell.
- the sense organs (= eyes, ears, nose, etc.)
- I could hardly believe the evidence of my own senses (= what I could see, hear, etc.).
- The mixture of sights, smells and sounds around her made her senses reel.
Extra Examples- Art should appeal to the senses rather than the intellect.
- He has a sixth sense when it comes to fashion.
- Raccoons have a highly developed sense of touch.
- She lost her sense of hearing early in life.
- When she came to, her senses told her she was lying on a beach.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- acute
- developed
- good
- …
- have
- lose
- heighten
- …
- tell somebody
- reel
- swim
- …
- organ
- through the senses
- the five senses
- the sense of hearing
- the sense of sight
- …
- [countable] a feeling about something important
- sense of something His career was guided by a strong sense of duty.
- There is now a sense of urgency to fix the problem.
- I have found a sense of purpose in the work I do here.
- Most people in the country have a strong sense of national identity.
- My parents instilled a strong sense of responsibility in me.
- Clubs try to create a sense of community.
- Helmets can give cyclists a false sense of security.
- He felt an overwhelming sense of loss.
- sense (that)… I had the sense that he was worried about something.
- I got the sense that she wasn't very pleased to see us.
Extra Examples- He felt a deep sense of relief after the phone call.
- I experienced a new sense of freedom.
- Many felt a renewed sense of purpose in the nation's war effort.
- Patti had a nagging sense of foreboding.
- The conviction may bring a sense of closure.
- We felt a profound sense of alienation from Western culture.
- a palpable sense of danger
- a vague sense of unease
- Doesn't she have any sense of guilt about what she did?
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- deep
- great
- keen
- …
- experience
- feel
- have
- …
- sense of
- a false sense of security
- senses[plural] a normal state of mind; the ability to think clearly
- If she threatens to leave, it should bring him to his senses.
- I waited for them to come to their senses and return.
- No one in their right senses would give him the job!
- (old-fashioned) Are you out of your senses? You'll be killed!
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + senses- come to
- regain
- take leave of
- …
understanding/judgement
meaning
sight/hearing, etc.
feeling
normal state of mind
Word Originlate Middle English (as a noun in the sense ‘meaning’): from Latin sensus ‘faculty of feeling, thought, meaning’, from sentire ‘feel’. The verb dates from the mid 16th cent.
Idioms
See sense in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee sense in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishknock/talk some sense into somebody
- to try and persuade somebody to stop behaving in a stupid way, sometimes using rough or violent methods
- Try and talk some sense into her before she makes the wrong decision.
- Where would I be without you to knock some sense into my head?
make sense
- to have a meaning that you can easily understand
- This sentence doesn't make sense.
- to be a sensible thing to do
- It makes sense to buy the most up-to-date version.
- There are strict medicals for pilots, which makes good sense.
Extra Examples- Family-friendly policies make good business sense.
- It makes little sense to discuss this now.
- to be easy to understand or explain
- John wasn't making much sense on the phone.
- Who would send me all these flowers? It makes no sense.
- It all made perfect sense to me.
make sense of something
- to understand something that is difficult or has no clear meaning
- I can’t make sense of that painting.
see sense
- to start to be sensible or reasonable
- I tried to make him see sense, but he just wouldn't listen.
a sense of occasion
- a feeling or understanding that an event is important or special
- Candles on the table gave the evening a sense of occasion.
take leave of your senses
- (old-fashioned) to start behaving in a crazy way
Check pronunciation:
sense