feel
Americanverb (used with object)
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feels,
present (3rd person singular)
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felt,
past participle, past
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feeling
present participle
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to perceive or examine by touch.
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to have a sensation of (something), other than by sight, hearing, taste, or smell.
to feel a toothache.
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to find or pursue (one's way) by touching, groping, or cautious moves.
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to be or become conscious of.
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to be emotionally affected by.
to feel one's disgrace keenly.
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to experience the effects of.
The whole region felt the storm.
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to have a particular sensation or impression of (often used reflexively and usually followed by an adjunct or complement).
to feel oneself slighted.
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to have a general or thorough conviction of; think; believe.
I feel he's guilty.
verb (used without object)
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feels,
present (3rd person singular)
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felt,
past participle, past
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feeling
present participle
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to have perception by touch or by any nerves of sensation other than those of sight, hearing, taste, and smell.
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to make examination by touch; grope.
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to perceive a state of mind or a condition of body.
to feel happy; to feel well.
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to have a sensation of being.
to feel warm.
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to make itself perceived or apparent; seem.
How does it feel to be rich?
noun
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feels
plural
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a quality of an object that is perceived by feeling or touching.
the soft feel of cotton.
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a sensation of something felt; a vague mental impression or feeling.
a feel of winter; a feel of sadness in the air.
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the sense of touch.
soft to the feel.
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native ability or acquired sensitivity.
to have a feel for what is right.
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Informal. an act or instance of touching with the hand or fingers.
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Slang: Vulgar. an act or instance of feeling up.
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Informal. feels, strong, often positive feelings: I have so many feels right now.
That song gives me feels.
I have so many feels right now.
verb phrase
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feel up to to feel or be able to; be capable of.
He didn't feel up to going to the theater so soon after his recent illness.
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feel out to attempt to ascertain (the nature of a situation, someone's attitude, etc.) by indirect or subtle means.
Why not feel out the other neighbors' opinions before you make a complaint.
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feel for
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to feel sympathy for or compassion toward; empathize with.
I know you're disappointed and upset, and I feel for you.
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Southeastern Pennsylvania and Maryland. to have a liking or desire for.
If you feel for more pie, just help yourself.
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feel up to fondle or touch (someone) in a sexual manner.
idioms
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cop a feel, to touch another person's body sexually, often in a quick and surreptitious way.
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feel like,
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to have a desire for; be favorably disposed to.
I don't feel like going out tonight. Do you feel like a movie?
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to think; have the opinion (often used to soften the tone of discourse).
I feel like this is the only solution in this case.
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to have a particular impression; believe (used to express emotional sentiments).
I feel like she doesn't love me anymore.
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feel no pain. pain.
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feel like oneself, to be in one's usual frame of mind or state of health: Also feel oneself.
She hasn't been feeling like herself since the accident.
verb
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to perceive (something) by touching
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to have a physical or emotional sensation of (something)
to feel heat
to feel anger
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(tr) to examine (something) by touch
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(tr) to find (one's way) by testing or cautious exploration
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(copula) to seem or appear in respect of the sensation given
I feel tired
it feels warm
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to have an indistinct, esp emotional conviction; sense (esp in the phrase feel in one's bones )
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to show sympathy or compassion (towards)
I feel for you in your sorrow
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to believe, think, or be of the opinion (that)
he feels he must resign
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slang to pass one's hands over the sexual organs of
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to have an inclination (for something or doing something)
I don't feel like going to the pictures
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to be fit and sure of oneself
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(usually used with a negative or in a question) to be fit enough for (something or doing something)
I don't feel up to going out tonight
noun
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the act or an instance of feeling, esp by touching
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the quality of or an impression from something perceived through feeling
the house has a homely feel about it
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the sense of touch
the fabric is rough to the feel
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an instinctive aptitude; knack
she's got a feel for this sort of work
Usage
When the verb feel is used in the sense "to think or believe," it typically implies believing or having an opinion on the basis of emotion or intuition, even in circumstances unsupported by much real evidence. Although some usage experts object, such use is well established in English and can be traced as far back as Middle English. When feel is used specifically to express a subjective impression, it is often used with as if, as though, or that and followed by a full sentence: I felt as if my world had come to an end. He feels as though it is always raining. I feel that things will get better now. More informally, feel can be used without as if/as though/that : I feel he's guilty. And a full sentence does not have to follow: I felt his answer to be impolite. In the same sense of "to think or believe," an alternative phrase feel like is found in informal or casual speech. This use of feel like typically expresses an opinion or emotional sentiment with a softened or tentative tone: I feel like nothing is getting done here. I feel like he is just too arrogant. Though increasingly common, use of the phrase feel like has been criticized as lazy thinking that ignores real evidence, while avoiding confrontation and debate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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feelsimple
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feelssimple
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have feltperfect
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has feltperfect
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am feelingprogressive
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are feelingprogressive
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is feelingprogressive
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have been feelingperfect progressive
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has been feelingperfect progressive
Past
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feltsimple
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had feltperfect
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was feelingprogressive
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were feelingprogressive
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had been feelingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of feel
First recorded before 900; Middle English felen, Old English fēlan; cognate with Old Saxon fōlian, German fühlen; akin to Old Norse falma “to grope”; see fumble
Explanation
If you put your hand on someone's arm, they will feel your touch; if you give them a piece of really bad news, they will feel sad. Feel means to be aware of a physical or emotional sensation. Feel is most often used as a verb, meaning to physically touch or grope something or to be conscious of something emotionally. There's also a noun form of feel, which describes an awareness of something or the physical property of something, like in the sentences, "This place has the feel of a palace," or "She told me it was cotton, but it has the feel of silk."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
How would it feel to find yourself face to face with one of the Arctic's most formidable predators?
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
To be around people and feel a sense of community, she frequents the local gym.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
As James notes, "Our actions feel like they are caused by decisions based on desires, beliefs, and intentions."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
“I want you to understand I’m not here to ask you to change how you feel about Russia,” Mulkey said she told Koval.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
With each burst of breath, I feel better.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
It also matches how decision making feels from the inside.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
“Desastre,” a lovely tune released in 2024, feels almost as unearthly to me as “Cien Años.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
He said he feels "deep pain" knowing that colleagues were left behind.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Another place where Dulli’s vocals are at the forefront is on “My Lover,” where the lead vocal has a stylized texture that feels like Dulli even if it doesn’t sound like him.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
It’s your life, sis; you gotta walk the path that feels most righteous to you,” Zora says.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
"I felt that was very relatable as a drag queen and so I took that book up there to testify," Bandit told AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
“I could have got surgery, but I wouldn’t have felt comfortable,” Stewart said earlier this month.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
OpenAI fired Aschenbrenner after he shared what executives felt was sensitive company information with Holden Karnofsky, a major figure in the EA world who is married to Anthropic’s president, Daniela Amodei.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
A few years ago, you couldn't go on social media in June - known as "Pride month" - without seeing what felt like every corporate logo incorporating the Pride flag.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Clare felt that a little nap in the warmth might clear his head.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
On “American Dream,” Mr. Cockrell’s instrument has a slapback effect, as if he’s playing underwater, echoing the lyric’s description of feeling overwhelmed and weighted down by the state of the world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
"I get the feeling we're in uncharted territory," said Dillamore.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Before winning 800m gold at the London Diamond League on 18 July, Hodgkinson said she was feeling "definitely a lot better than I was".
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Sumouni Basu was feeling the “sweltering heat” inside her apartment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
My forearm brushes his, and I exhale, suddenly feeling more philosophical.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
