feel

feelverb

To feel is to know something through your body or your emotions: what you touch, what happens to you, and what you think about it.

1. emotion or healthhave a particular emotion, or be in a particular state of body or mind

   For health, the simple and the continuous mean the same: How do you feel? and How are you feeling?

   linking [L] verb + adjective [V + adj] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep]

   • I feel tired. V + adj
   • She felt happy for the first time in months. V + adj
   • Are you feeling better today? V + adj
   • He felt like a fool. V + adv/prep (feel like + noun)

   Collocations

   phrase feel good, feel bad, feel sick, feel sure, feel comfortable

   adverb + verb really feel, suddenly feel

2. experienceexperience a feeling in your body or mind

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • I felt a sharp pain in my knee. V + obj
   • She felt no fear at all. V + obj
   • You could feel the excitement in the room. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun feel pain, feel the cold, feel fear, feel pressure, feel the need

3. noticenotice something through your body, such as something touching you or moving

   Often with can or could: I can feel it moving.

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + bare infinitive [V + obj + inf] verb + object + -ing form [V + obj + -ing]

   • I felt something crawl up my leg. V + obj + inf
   • She felt the floor shake. V + obj + inf
   • He could feel the car slowing down. V + obj + -ing
   • Did you feel the rain? V + obj

4. touchtouch something with your hand to find out what it is like

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + wh-clause [V + wh]

   • Feel how soft this blanket is. V + wh
   • The doctor felt my arm for broken bones. V + obj
   • Feel the fruit before you buy it. V + obj

   Compare touch

5. seemgive a particular feeling when you touch it or experience it

   The subject is the thing or the situation, not the person: The room feels warm.

   linking [L] verb + adjective [V + adj] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep]

   • The water feels cold. V + adj
   • This shirt feels soft. V + adj
   • It feels strange to be back home. V + adj
   • It feels like rain. V + adv/prep

   Collocations

   phrase feel like something, feel as if, it feels good

   Synonyms seem

6. have an opinionhave an opinion about something, based on your feelings

   transitive [T] verb + that-clause [V + that] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj] not used in continuous tenses [no continuous]

   • I feel that we should wait. V + that
   • She felt it was wrong to lie. V + that
   • How do you feel about the new plan? V + prep + obj

   Collocations

   verb + adverb feel strongly

   verb + preposition feel about something

   Synonyms think; believe

7. wantwant something, or want to do something

   Used as feel like + a noun or an -ing form, never feel like + to + verb. Common in questions and with not.

   transitive [T] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj] informal

   • I feel like a cup of tea. V + prep + obj
   • Do you feel like going for a walk? V + prep + obj
   • I don't feel like cooking tonight. V + prep + obj

8. searchsearch for something with your hands because you cannot see it

   intransitive [I] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep]

   • She felt in her bag for her keys. V + adv/prep
   • He felt around in the dark for the light switch. V + adv/prep

   Collocations

   verb + preposition feel for something, feel around, feel in something