Practice
Gut feeling: meaning and use in English
Sign in to saveYou meet someone for the first time and feel that they are hiding something, although you cannot say why. You have a gut feeling. The phrase describes a quick personal impression, not a fact that you can prove.
Understand gut feeling as an informal sense that something may be true, use common sentence patterns, and separate a personal impression from evidence.
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gut feeling /ˈɡʌt ˌfiː.lɪŋ/
The short answer
Use gut feeling for a personal sense or impression that you cannot fully explain. Say I have a gut feeling that the train will be late, or My gut feeling is that we should wait. The phrase is informal and does not mean that you have proof.
I had a gut feeling that Noor would call before dinner.
Why it works: The speaker expects a call but does not give evidence for the expectation.
5 more examples
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My gut feeling is that the meeting will take longer than an hour.
This pattern introduces the speaker's personal prediction.
Not this:
The agenda has twelve items, so the meeting will take longer than an hour. What changes: The speaker gives a stated reason instead of only an impression. -
Lena had a gut feeling about the apartment, so she asked to see it again in daylight.
About can name the person, plan, place, or situation that causes the impression.
Not this:Lena
found a broken windowin the apartment, so she asked to see it again in daylight. What changes: A visible problem gives Lena a specific reason to check the apartment. -
We went with our gut feeling and chose the quieter route home.
Go with means to follow the impression when choosing between options.
Not this:We chose the quieter route because the
traffic map showed a delayon the main road. What changes: The route choice is based on information from the map. -
His gut feeling told him to ask one more question before signing the form.
This figurative pattern means that he felt he should pause and check something.
Not this:The
missing dateon the form made him ask one more question before signing. What changes: The missing date is a clear reason to ask a question. -
My gut feeling about the new schedule was positive, but I still read the details carefully.
A person can have a positive or negative first impression and still check the facts.
Not this:The new schedule
gave everyone two extra daysto prepare, so I supported it. What changes: The extra preparation time is a stated reason for support.
Read the full guide
Use gut feeling when you want to name an immediate impression. It often comes before a that clause that explains the impression: I have a gut feeling that something has changed. You can also use it with about: She had a gut feeling about the offer. If a decision needs evidence, give the evidence after you mention the feeling.
Name an impression without proof
A gut feeling is an impression that comes before a clear explanation. The speaker thinks something may be true, but cannot point to enough facts yet. Use the phrase when you want to be honest that the idea is personal.
I had a gut feeling that Noor would call before dinner.
I expected Noor to call, but I could not explain why gives the same basic meaning.
Does a gut feeling mean that the speaker has proof?
No. It means that the speaker has a personal impression or expectation.
Use that to explain the feeling
The most useful pattern is have a gut feeling that followed by the idea you expect or suspect. You can change have for the time: I had a gut feeling that, or She has a gut feeling that. The that clause makes the meaning clear.
My gut feeling is that the meeting will take longer than an hour.
I think the meeting will take longer is more direct, but it does not show that the thought is an instinctive impression.
Which word can introduce the idea after gut feeling?
Use that: I have a gut feeling that the plan will change.
Use about for the subject of the impression
Use a gut feeling about when you first want to name the person, object, place, or plan that concerns you. You may add more detail in the next sentence. This pattern is useful when the feeling is hard to describe in one short statement.
Lena had a gut feeling about the apartment, so she asked to see it again in daylight.
Lena was unsure about the apartment is a plain alternative with a similar general meaning.
Do not use gut feeling for a physical stomach problem. Say stomachache, nausea, or another exact word for a medical symptom.
Follow a gut feeling with care
Go with your gut feeling and trust your gut feeling mean that you decide to follow your first impression. They are common in casual advice. Use them carefully when the choice affects money, safety, work, or another person. A feeling can tell you to pause, ask questions, or check information before you decide.
We went with our gut feeling and chose the quieter route home.
We followed our first impression explains the phrase without the idiom.
What can you do after a gut feeling makes you uncertain about an important choice?
Pause and look for information that can confirm or change your impression.
Keep the feeling personal
A person has a gut feeling. The phrase usually takes a personal noun or pronoun: my gut feeling, her gut feeling, or the manager's gut feeling. A document, machine, or report cannot have one because the phrase describes a human impression.
His gut feeling told him to ask one more question before signing the form.
He felt that he should ask one more question states the meaning directly.
Which phrase fits: the report had a gut feeling, or the manager had a gut feeling?
The manager had a gut feeling because a person has the impression.
Give reasons when other people need them
Gut feeling is useful for conversation, but it can be too vague when another person must act on your view. Add the details you noticed, the questions you asked, or the information you checked. This helps the listener understand the decision without needing to share your first reaction.
My gut feeling about the new schedule was positive, but I still read the details carefully.
I supported the schedule because it gave everyone more preparation time gives the reader a clear reason.
What should you add after a gut feeling in a report or formal message?
Add the facts or observations that support the next action or decision.
Before you go
Remember this
A gut feeling is a personal sense that something may be true or may happen. Use have a gut feeling that for an impression and go with your gut feeling for a choice based on that impression. The phrase can explain a reaction, but evidence is still needed when a decision affects other people.
Practice with the written examples
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "Gut feeling: meaning and use in English"
What does gut feeling mean?
Gut feeling means a personal sense that something may be true or may happen, even though you cannot fully explain it. It is an instinctive impression, not proof. You might have a gut feeling about a person, plan, place, or possible result.
I had a gut feeling that Noor would call before dinner.
How do you use gut feeling in a sentence?
Use have a gut feeling that before the idea you expect or suspect: I had a gut feeling that Noor would call. You can also say a gut feeling about a topic, as in Lena had a gut feeling about the apartment.
Noor sent a message saying that she would call before dinner.
Is gut feeling formal or informal?
Gut feeling is common in informal conversation and personal writing. It can appear in a workplace discussion when a speaker clearly presents it as a personal view. In a formal report, add the facts and observations that support any proposed action.
My gut feeling is that the meeting will take longer than an hour.
What is another word for gut feeling?
Intuition is a close alternative and is usually more formal. First impression, instinct, and hunch can also be similar, depending on the situation. Choose the word that matches how certain you are and whether you can give a reason for your view.
The agenda has twelve items, so the meeting will take longer than an hour.
Should I trust my gut feeling?
A gut feeling can tell you to pause, ask questions, or look more closely at a situation. It is not evidence by itself. When a decision affects money, safety, work, or another person, check the relevant facts before you decide.
Lena had a gut feeling about the apartment, so she asked to see it again in daylight.