sixth sense

American  

noun

1. a power of perception beyond the five senses; intuition.

   His sixth sense warned him to be cautious.

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sixth sense British  

noun

1. any supposed sense or means of perception, such as intuition or clairvoyance, other than the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell

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sixth sense Idioms  

1. Keen intuition, as in She had a sixth sense that they would find it in the cellar. This term alludes to a sense in addition to the five physical senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. [c. 1800]

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Etymology

Origin of sixth sense

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Because interoceptive signals originate deep within the body and are often processed unconsciously, scientists often describe this system as our "hidden sixth sense."

From Science Daily • Oct. 25, 2025

The Australian labradoodle has a sixth sense for when she’s nervous or upset.

From Seattle Times • May 4, 2024

That’s more than a detective’s instincts at work; that’s a sixth sense.

From New York Times • Feb. 18, 2024

Milo says he and his colleagues have long believed that numbers can “provide a sixth sense of the world.”

From Science Magazine • Feb. 27, 2023

The holes were actually sensory organs that gave the shark a sixth sense and helped her seek prey.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

Related Words

• instinct