felt

[ felt ]

/ fɛlt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR felt ON THESAURUS.COM

verb

simple past tense and past participle of feel.

Nearby words

felsic, felsite, felsitic, felspar, felspathic, felt, felt marker, felt side, felt-tip pen, felting, feltwork

Definition for felt (2 of 3)

felt

[ felt ]

/ fɛlt /

noun

a nonwoven fabric of wool, fur, or hair, matted together by heat, moisture, and great pressure.

any article made of this material, as a hat.

any matted fabric or material, as a mat of asbestos fibers, rags, or old paper, used for insulation and in construction.

adjective

pertaining to or made of felt.

verb (used with object)

to make into felt; mat or press together.

to cover with or as with felt.

verb (used without object)

to become matted together.

Origin of felt

before 1000; Middle English, Old English; cognate with German Filz; see filter

Definition for felt (3 of 3)

feel

[ feel ]

/ fil /

verb (used with object), felt, feel·ing.

to perceive or examine by touch.

to have a sensation of (something), other than by sight, hearing, taste, or smell: to feel a toothache.

to find or pursue (one's way) by touching, groping, or cautious moves.

to be or become conscious of.

to be emotionally affected by: to feel one's disgrace keenly.

to experience the effects of: The whole region felt the storm.

to have a particular sensation or impression of (often used reflexively and usually followed by an adjunct or complement): to feel oneself slighted.

to have a general or thorough conviction of; think; believe: I feel he's guilty.

verb (used without object), felt, feel·ing.

to have perception by touch or by any nerves of sensation other than those of sight, hearing, taste, and smell.

to make examination by touch; grope.

to perceive a state of mind or a condition of body: to feel happy; to feel well.

to have a sensation of being: to feel warm.

to make itself perceived or apparent; seem: How does it feel to be rich?

noun

a quality of an object that is perceived by feeling or touching: the soft feel of cotton.

a sensation of something felt; a vague mental impression or feeling: a feel of winter; a feel of sadness in the air.

the sense of touch: soft to the feel.

native ability or acquired sensitivity: to have a feel for what is right.

Informal. an act or instance of touching with the hand or fingers.

Slang: Vulgar. an act or instance of feeling up.

feels, Informal. strong, often positive feelings: That song gives me feels.I have so many feels right now.

Verb Phrases

feel for,

to feel sympathy for or compassion toward; empathize with: I know you're disappointed and upset, and I feel for you.
Southeastern Pennsylvania and Maryland. to have a liking or desire for: If you feel for more pie, just help yourself.

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.

feel up, Slang: Vulgar. to fondle or touch (someone) in a sexual manner.

feel up to, Informal. 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.

Origin of feel

before 900; Middle English felen, Old English fēlan; cognate with Old Saxon fōlian, German fühlen; akin to Old Norse falma to grope. See fumble

Related formso·ver·feel, verb, o·ver·felt, o·ver·feel·ing.re·feel, verb, re·felt, re·feel·ing.

Usage note

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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for felt

He felt his body grow limp (like one of those high-speed films of a flower wilting).
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The EPA felt that the State Department had not looked carefully enough at the impact of the pipeline if oil prices fell.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Jan. 4|PunditFact.com|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Whatever frustrations or disappointments he felt about politics never surfaced.
Mario Cuomo, Always Moving Us Toward the Light|Mike Barnicle|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It was one of the few things that felt familiar to him after being away from the outside world since 1975.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

I started just writing these songs, at first it felt like a project or something.
Deer Tick's John McCauley on Ten Years in Rock and Roll|James Joiner|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We were such good friends, and we felt, I daresay, that it was our duty to love each other.
Robert Orange|John Oliver Hobbes
And yet, as we all of us felt, everything now depended on Tempest.
Tom, Dick and Harry|Talbot Baines Reed
I cannot tell you exactly what she felt when she saw Nino from her lofty window, but she was certainly glad with her whole heart.
A Roman Singer|F. Marion Crawford
At a quarter past the hour she felt so poorly as to be compelled to retire to her room.
'Farewell, Nikola'|Guy Boothby
Lena gave her heart away when she felt like it, but she kept her head for her business and had got on in the world.
My Antonia|Willa Cather

British Dictionary definitions for felt (1 of 3)

felt

/ (fɛlt) /

verb

the past tense and past participle of feel

British Dictionary definitions for felt (2 of 3)

felt

/ (fɛlt) /

noun

a matted fabric of wool, hair, etc, made by working the fibres together under pressure or by heat or chemical action
(as modifier)a felt hat

any material, such as asbestos, made by a similar process of matting

verb

(tr) to make into or cover with felt

(intr) to become matted

Word Origin for felt

Old English; related to Old Saxon filt, Old High German filz felt, Latin pellere to beat, Greek pelas close; see anvil, filter

British Dictionary definitions for felt (3 of 3)

feel

/ (fiːl) /

verb feels, feeling or felt (fɛlt)

to perceive (something) by touching

to have a physical or emotional sensation of (something)to feel heat; to feel anger

(tr) to examine (something) by touch

(tr) to find (one's way) by testing or cautious exploration

(copula) to seem or appear in respect of the sensation givenI feel tired; it feels warm

to have an indistinct, esp emotional conviction; sense (esp in the phrase feel in one's bones)

(intr foll by for) to show sympathy or compassion (towards)I feel for you in your sorrow

to believe, think, or be of the opinion (that)he feels he must resign

(tr often foll by up) slang to pass one's hands over the sexual organs of

feel like to have an inclination (for something or doing something)I don't feel like going to the pictures

feel oneself or feel quite oneself to be fit and sure of oneself

feel up to (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

the act or an instance of feeling, esp by touching

the quality of or an impression from something perceived through feelingthe house has a homely feel about it

the sense of touchthe fabric is rough to the feel

an instinctive aptitude; knackshe's got a feel for this sort of work

Word Origin for feel

Old English fēlan; related to Old High German fuolen, Old Norse fālma to grope, Latin palma palm 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for felt (1 of 5)

felt

Old English felt, from West Germanic *feltaz "something beaten, compressed wool" (cf. Old Saxon filt, Middle Dutch vilt, Old High German filz, German Filz, Danish filt), from Proto-Germanic *felt- "to beat," from PIE *pel- "to thrust, strike, drive" (cf. Old Church Slavonic plusti), with a sense of "beating" (see pulse (n.1)).

Word Origin and History for felt (1 of 5)

felt

v.1

"to make into felt," early 14c. (implied in felted); see felt (n.).

Word Origin and History for felt (2 of 5)

felt

v.2

past tense and past participle of feel (v.).

Word Origin and History for felt (3 of 5)

feel

Old English felan "to touch, perceive," from Proto-Germanic *foljan (cf. Old Saxon gifolian, Old Frisian fela, Dutch voelen, Old High German vuolen, German fühlen "to feel," Old Norse falma "to grope"), from PIE root *pal- "to touch, feel, shake, strike softly" (cf. Greek psallein "to pluck (the harp)," Latin palpare "to touch softly, stroke," palpitare "to move quickly"), perhaps ultimately imitative.

The sense in Old English was "to perceive through senses which are not referred to any special organ." Sense of "be conscious of a sensation or emotion" developed by late 13c.; that of "to have sympathy or compassion" is from c.1600. To feel like "want to" attested from 1829.

Word Origin and History for felt (4 of 5)

feel

early 13c., "sensation, understanding," from feel (v.). Meaning "action of feeling" is from mid-15c. "Sensation produced by something" is from 1739. Noun sense of "sexual grope" is from 1932; from verbal phrase to feel (someone) up (1930).

Medicine definitions for felt

feel

[ fēl ]

v.

To perceive through the sense of touch.

To perceive as a physical sensation, as of pain.

To be conscious of a particular physical, mental, or emotional state.

Idioms and Phrases with felt

feel

In addition to the idioms beginning with feel

feel bad
feel blue
feel for
feel free
feel in one's bones
feel like
feel like death
feel like oneself
feel like two cents
feel no pain
feel oneself
feel one's oats
feel one's way
feel out
feel out of place
feel put upon
feel someone up
feel the pinch
feel up to

also see:

(feel) at home
cop a feel
get the feel of
(feel) put upon

Also seefeelings.

felt

verb

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Definition for felt (2 of 3)

felt

noun

adjective

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of felt

Definition for felt (3 of 3)

feel

verb (used with object), felt, feel·ing.

verb (used without object), felt, feel·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of feel

Usage note

Examples from the Web for felt

British Dictionary definitions for felt (1 of 3)

felt

verb

British Dictionary definitions for felt (2 of 3)

felt

noun

verb

Word Origin for felt

British Dictionary definitions for felt (3 of 3)

feel

verb feels, feeling or felt (fɛlt)

noun

Word Origin for feel

Word Origin and History for felt (1 of 5)

felt

Word Origin and History for felt (1 of 5)

felt

Word Origin and History for felt (2 of 5)

felt

Word Origin and History for felt (3 of 5)

feel

Word Origin and History for felt (4 of 5)

feel

Medicine definitions for felt

feel

v.

Idioms and Phrases with felt

feel