sense

Word family  noun sense ≠ nonsense sensibility ≠ insensibility sensitivity ≠ insensitivity senselessness sensitization sensor adjective sensible insensible senseless sensitive ≠ insensitive sensory nonsensical insensate verb sense sensitize adverb sensibly senselessly sensitively ≠ insensitively

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Human

sense1 /sens/ ●●● S1 W1 noun  1  [countable]FEEL HAPPY/FRIGHTENED/BORED ETC a feeling about something 〔对某事物的〕感觉sense of Afterwards, I felt a great sense of relief. 后来，我感到如释重负。 A sense of panic has spread over the country. 举国上下一片恐慌。 Employees need the sense of being appreciated. 雇员需要被赏识的感觉。with a sense of something He looked around the room with a sense of achievement. 他带着一种成就感环顾房间。sense that I had the sense that he was lying. 我有一种感觉，他在撒谎。2  [singular] the ability to understand or judge something 理解力；判断力sense of humour British English, sense of humor American English (=the ability to understand and enjoy things that are funny) 幽默感 I like Pam – she has a really good sense of humour. 我喜欢帕姆，她很有幽默感。sense of direction (=the ability to judge which way you should be going, or what your aims should be) 方向感 It was dark and he had completely lost his sense of direction. 天黑了，他完全失去了方向感。sense of proportion (=the ability to judge what is important and what is not important) 区别轻重缓急的能力，主次观念 Let’s keep a sense of proportion, and not rush to any hasty conclusions. 我们要有主次观念，不要急于下结论。sense of justice/fairness Kids have a natural sense of justice. 小孩子都有一种天生的正义感。dress/clothes sense (=the ability to judge which clothes look good) 着装感，对服装的鉴赏力3  [countable]HBH one of the five natural powers of sight, hearing, feeling, taste, and smell, that give us information about the things around us 感官，感觉官能〔即视觉、听觉、触觉、味觉和嗅觉〕sense of smell/taste/touch etc She has a good sense of smell. 她嗅觉很好。 Cats have a very acute sense of hearing (=very good, so that they can hear even the smallest sound). 猫的听觉非常敏锐。 Combinations of flavors, textures, and color that can delight the senses. 使感官愉悦的味道、口感和颜色的结合。 the five senses (=all of the senses) 五种感官 → sixth sense4  [uncountable]SENSIBLE when someone makes sensible or practical decisions, or behaves in a sensible practical way 见识，良好的判断have the sense to do something (=behave in a sensible way and do what is best in that situation) 有做某事的常识，知道好歹 You should have had the sense to turn off the electricity first. 你应该知道要先关掉电源这个常识。there is no sense in (doing) something spoken (=it is not sensible to do something) （做）某事是没道理的 There’s no sense in getting upset about it now. 现在没有必要为这件事苦恼。see sense (=realize what is the sensible thing to do) 开始明白事理，变得明智起来 I wish the politicians would see sense and stop the war. 我希望政客们能够变得明智一点，结束这场战争。talk/knock some sense into somebody (=try to make someone behave in a more sensible way) 开导某人使其明智起来，让某人明白过来 → common sense5  make sense a) to have a clear meaning and be easy to understand 有意义，表述清晰，易于理解 Read this and tell me if it makes sense. 读读这篇东西，告诉我通不通。 b) to be a sensible thing to do 是明智的，是合乎情理的it makes sense (for somebody) to do something It makes sense to save money while you can. 钱能省就省，这是明智的做法。 Would it make sense for the city authorities to further restrict parking? 市政当局进一步限制停车的做法是否合乎情理？ c) if something makes sense, there seems to be a good reason or explanation for it 解释得通，有道理 Why did she do a thing like that? It doesn’t seem to make sense. 她为什么做那种事情？这似乎讲不通。6  make (some) sense of something UNDERSTANDto understand something, especially something difficult or complicated 理解[弄懂]某事物〔尤指困难或复杂的事物〕 Can you make any sense of this article? 你能看懂这篇文章吗？7  [countable] the meaning of a word, sentence, phrase etc 〔单词、句子、短语等的〕意义，意思 The word ‘record’ has several different senses. 这个词有几种不同的意思。 Any alteration would spoil the sense of the entire poem. 任何改动都会破坏整首诗的含义。8  [countable] a way in which something can be true or real 意义，含义，角度in a sense/in one sense/in some senses etc (=in one way, in some ways etc) 从某种意义上来讲 What he says is right, in a sense. 他所说的是对的，从某种意义上来说是这样。 The hotel was in no sense (=not at all) comfortable. 这家酒店怎么也称不上舒适。 George was a big man in every sense of the word (=in every way). 乔治不管怎么说都是个大个子。 This is true in a general sense. 从一般意义上来讲，这是对的。 Communication, in any real sense (=of any real kind), was extremely limited. 真正意义上的交流极其有限。in a (very) real sense (=used to emphasize that a statement or description is true) 确实地，毫无疑问地 A head of a school is a manager in a very real sense. 学校校长实际上就是一个管理人员。9  your/her etc senses someone’s ability to think clearly and behave sensibly – used in some expressions when you think that someone has lost this ability 健全的心智，理智 用于某些表达法，表示某人失去理智〕come to your senses (=to start to think clearly and behave sensibly again) 醒悟过来；恢复理智 One day he’ll come to his senses and see what a fool he’s been. 总有一天他会清醒过来，明白自己曾经有多么傻。 See if you can bring her to her senses (=make someone think clearly and behave sensibly). 看看你能否让她明白过来。be out of your senses (=have lost the ability to think clearly and behave sensibly) 失去理智 Are you completely out of your senses? 你是不是疯了？ → take leave of your senses at leave2(6)10  talk sense spoken to say things that are reasonable or sensible – often used when you think someone has just said something silly 说话要讲道理，别胡说 Talk sense! There’s no way we can afford a new car! 说话要有脑子！我们哪里买得起新车！11. regain your senses old-fashionedRECOVER/GET BETTER to stop feeling faint or slightly sick 恢复清醒的头脑，恢复精神 COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: a feeling about something 〔对某事物的〕感觉adjectivesa strong/great sense of something 强烈的…感He had a strong sense of responsibility. 他责任感很强。a real sense of something (=a strong feeling) 很强的…感Children need to feel a real sense of belonging. 儿童需要有强烈的归属感。a deep sense of something (=a very strong feeling) 深深的…感He felt a deep sense of disappointment. 他感到深深的失望。a growing sense of something (=becoming stronger) 越来越强烈的…感nShe looked around with a growing sense of unease.a vague/slight sense of something (=not very strong) 模糊的/些微的…感nThere was a slight sense of embarrassment.verbsfeel/have a sense of something 有…感I felt a great sense of pride. 我感到非常自豪。give somebody a sense of something 给予某人…感The job gave her a sense of control over her life. 这个工作让她有了能够掌控自己生活的感觉。nconvey a sense of somethingWe want to convey our sense of excitement to the audience.phrasesa sense of relief/panic/guilt etc 轻松感/恐惧感/内疚感等We reached the medical centre with a sense of relief. 到了医疗中心,我们感到如释重负。a sense of purpose/direction (=a feeling that you know what you are trying to achieve) 〔人生的〕目标/方向Becoming a mother had given her a new sense of purpose. 成为人母给了她新的人生目标。a sense of urgency (=a feeling that something is urgent) 紧迫感The rescuers felt a real sense of urgency now. 营救人员这时有了强烈的紧迫感。a sense of responsibility/duty (=a feeling that you must do something because it is right) 责任感Parents try to give their children a sense of responsibility. 家长试图培养孩子的责任感。a sense of loss (=a feeling of sadness for someone or something you no longer have) 失落感nMany women experience a sense of loss when their children leave home.a sense of achievement/satisfaction (=a feeling that you have achieved something good) 成就感/满足感nEven a small success gives a sense of achievement.a sense of security (=a feeling that you are safe) 安全感nA lack of trust in the parents can undermine the child's sense of security at home.a false sense of security (=a feeling that you are safe, which is not actually true) 虚假的安全感nThey were lulled into a false sense of security.a sense of identity (=a feeling of knowing who you are and how you belong to a community) 认同感nChange can threaten our fragile sense of identity.a sense of belonging (=a feeling that you belong to a group) 归属感nThe organization tries to foster a sense of belonging through these social events.a sense of occasion (=a feeling that an event is special or important) 盛会的感觉,隆重的气氛nIt was a marvellous day and there was a real sense of occasion. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: the ability to understand or judge something 理解力；判断力nphrasesa sense of humour British English, a sense of humor American English (=the ability to laugh and enjoy things that are funny)A good teacher needs a sense of humour.a sense of fun (=the ability to enjoy yourself and make things fun)What I liked about Maria was her sense of fun.a sense of direction (=the ability to judge which way you should be going)The place was completely dark and I lost all sense of direction.a sense of proportion (=the ability to judge how important or unimportant something is)It’s important to keep a sense of proportion.a sense of timing (=the ability to choose the right moment to do or say something)He told the story with an exquisite sense of timing.a sense of justice/fairnessI appealed to her sense of justice.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + sensea good/great sense of something 强烈的…感nHe is a popular boy with a good sense of humour.a natural sense of something (=a natural ability) 小孩子都有一种天生的正义感。nShe did not have a natural sense of direction.na keen sense of something (=a good ability to judge something)As a lawyer, he had a keen sense of the value of political connections.dress/clothes sense (=an ability to choose clothes well) 着装感，对服装的鉴赏力nHer dress sense was faultless.nbusiness sense (=an ability to make good decisions in business)Few young people have much business sense.nverbshave a sense of somethingShe seems to have a great sense of the right thing to say.lose your sense of somethingCome on! Have you lost your sense of humour?lose all sense of somethingHe seemed to have lost all sense of proportion.keep/retain a sense of somethingThroughout it all she retained her sense of fun. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 3: one of the five natural powers of sight, hearing, feeling, taste, and smell, that give us information about the things around us 感官，感觉官能〔即视觉、听觉、触觉、味觉和嗅觉〕phrasesna sense of smell/taste/touch etcWe lose some of the sense of taste as we get older.the five senses 五种感官nWe use all five senses to explore the world around us.nadjectivesa good/keen/acute sense of somethingPigs have a keen sense of smell.a poor sense of somethingOwls and other predatory birds have a poor sense of smell.nverbshave a sense of somethingYou have to have a good sense of hearing to play the violin.lose your sense of somethingI think I’m losing my sense of smell. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 8: a way in which something can be true or real 意义，含义，角度phrasesnin a sense (also in one sense)The results are not terribly surprising in one sense.nin some sense (also in some senses)George was perfectly right in some senses.nin every senseHe is lucky in every sense.nin no sense (=not at all)This is in no sense a criticism.nin a general/broad senseIn a general sense, a rapid rate of technological change creates uncertainty.in a (very) real sense (=used to emphasise that a statement or description is true) 确实地，毫无疑问地nThe truth is that in a very real sense most families in Britain are not poor.nin a literal sense (=according to the actual or physical meaning of words)I wasn't suggesting that in a literal sense.

Examples from the Corpus

sense• I never had a sense of abundance, of being able to splash out and enjoy myself.• This was tolerated as long as they did so out of a sense of liberation at being at home, i.e. through choice not force.• And as he does the room is almost thick with a sense of triumph.• I'm using the word "education" in its broadest sense here.• In the dictionary the different senses of each word are marked by numbers.• Through each sense, children not only react to the world, they also comprehend their world.• Although there were cousins in Los Angeles, too, the warm and sometimes overbearing sense of family was gone.• The notion of randomness is especially unclear, in the sense that it has never been defined in any consistent way.• The Western sense of security was shattered.sense of• Employees get a real sense of satisfaction from helping customers.• The neighborhood has a real sense of community.sense of humour• Maybe I'm losing my sense of humor but I didn't find it at all funny.• Mr Hardman was a popular teacher, renowned for his sense of humor.• I don't like people without a sense of humour, and he has lots.• In character he was kindly, genial, and modest, with an abundant sense of humour.• Jones also has a very self-deprecating sense of humour.• I like Ann - she has such a good sense of humour.• He had an infectious sense of humour, and recently scripted an amusing and satirical pantomime.• Meatball's sense of humour was fraying.• Quiet-spoken and deeply read, he is an instructive and entertaining conversationalist with a sardonic sense of humour.• There's a similar sense of humour and a dissimilar sense of space.• We will miss her friendly smile, sense of humour, wit, and conversation.sense of smell/taste/touch etc• You should share a sense of taste, and approach to life.• A super-efficient sense of smell is no longer vital to our existence.• We do not have a very good sense of smell, and as a result we are often tactless when handling animals.• They lose their keen sense of smell and direction when the wind picks up like this.• Millions of years of evolution have equipped us to delicately manipulate our environment through our sense of touch.• Hence, the blind person may develop a superb sense of smell or highly sensitive hearing.• The first reasonably reliable and convincing learning task for Drosophila involved training them using just this sense of smell.have the sense to do something• If the adventurers have the sense to give Halfling comrades a piggy-back ride, award a few extra EPs.• You didn't even have the sense to use a false name.• I have the sense to choose nutritious, healthy food, and I am lasting pretty well.• The adventurers will presumably have the sense to avoid these.• Or perhaps they would have the sense to be washing their hair when Esquire phones to ask them out.• You have the sense to realise that taking out your anger on him is not the answer and will threaten your relationship.in no sense• They are in no sense wards of the state.• This says that a member can defend itself, but in no sense does it endorse a prolonged campaign of counter-attack.• But in no sense can that be true.• Primarily a political tract, it can in no sense be regarded as an empirical analysis of society.• Social Security is in no sense an insurance program.• Probation should in no sense be seen as a soft option by the judiciary.• It was in no sense a revival of the political dissent symbolised by Cromwellian puritanism.• Philosophy and religion Locke and the sense of sight Locke's philistinism was in no sense an aberration.sense2 ●●○ verb [transitive]  1  KNOW somethingif you sense something, you feel that it exists or is true, without being told or having proof 感觉到，意识到 Perhaps he sensed your distrust. 也许他感觉到了你的不信任。sense (that) I could sense that something was wrong. 我感到有什么不对劲。sense what/how/who etc Hugo had already sensed how unhappy she was. 雨果已经觉察到了她很不高兴。sense danger/trouble If a prairie dog senses danger, he whistles a warning. 草原犬鼠如果觉察到有危险，就会鸣叫发出警告。2  FINDif a machine senses something, it discovers and records it 〔机器〕检测并记录 an electronic device used for sensing intruders 用来自动监测闯入者的电子装置n COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: if a machine senses something, it discovers and records it 〔机器〕检测并记录nounssense dangerHe stiffened, sensing danger.sense troubleThe other women, sensing trouble, immediately began to edge away.sense the tensionI could sense the tension in the court as the jury returned.sense somebody’s presence (=be aware that someone is there)He sensed her presence, but didn’t look at her.sense somebody’s fear/excitement/reluctance etcLuke paused and she sensed his reluctance to continue.sense somebody’s mood (=be aware of how someone is feeling)He instinctively sensed her mood and changed the subject.→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

sense• There are times you get the impression Bulls coach Phil Jackson is tuned into some cosmic wavelength that only he can sense.• From the mid-eighties onwards, I sensed a change in the cultural scene.• Once, he had sensed a presence following him on the trail.• When he finally got there, when he walked through the town, he sensed a tension amongst those who saw him.• We could sense an unwelcoming atmosphere.• They have sensed, as the layman does not, the damage to established ideas which lurks in these relationships.• She sensed his impatience and tried to hurry.• This new dishwasher senses how many dishes are loaded and sets itself accordingly.• I wasn't that thrilled with her performance, and I'm sure she sensed it.• After a while, I sensed that he was no longer listening.• I sensed that she loved her little girl a great deal but was feeling hopelessly lost about how to cope with her.• David sensed the urge to plant his lips on hers immediately and bite into the yielding flesh.sense (that)• Politically, though, it makes sense.• Atlanta is heaven, perhaps not in the strictest Baptist sense, for the young and eager of the region.• Chopra could sense ghosts drifting around the castle.• Which, in a sense is true.• I learned he had the same goofy sense of humor I was cursed with.• Anyway, he pointed out, by and large Hindus have a sense of humour.• One wishes to see the entire full-length feature, to get a more complete sense of their lives.• The laughter faded away, leaving me with a sense of unease.• Fanny sensed that the Mansfield family needed her help.Origin sense1 (1300-1400) Old French sens, from Latin sensus, from sentire “to feel”

sense1 noun →COLLOCATIONS1 →COLLOCATIONS2
→COLLOCATIONS3 →COLLOCATIONS4sense2 verb →n COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChinese  

about a feeling something Corpus

sense

I

sense¹ S1 W1 /sens/ noun1. [countable] a feeling about something
    sense of
    Afterwards, I felt a great sense of relief.
    A sense of panic has spread over the country.
    Employees need the sense of being appreciated.
    with a sense of something
    He looked around the room with a sense of achievement.
    sense that
    I had the sense that he was lying.
2. [singular] the ability to understand or judge something
    sense of humour British English sense of humor American English (=the ability to understand and enjoy things that are funny)
    I like Pam – she has a really good sense of humour.
    sense of direction (=the ability to judge which way you should be going, or what your aims should be)
    It was dark and he had completely lost his sense of direction.
    sense of proportion (=the ability to judge what is important and what is not important)
    Let’s keep a sense of proportion, and not rush to any hasty conclusions.
    sense of justice/fairness
    Kids have a natural sense of justice.
    dress/clothes sense (=the ability to judge which clothes look good)
3. [countable] one of the five natural powers of sight, hearing, feeling, taste, and smell, that give us information about the things around us
    sense of smell/taste/touch etc
    She has a good sense of smell.
    Cats have a very acute sense of hearing (=very good, so that they can hear even the smallest sound).
    Combinations of flavors, textures, and color that can delight the senses.
    the five senses (=all of the senses) ⇨ sixth sense
4. [uncountable] when someone makes sensible or practical decisions, or behaves in a sensible practical way
    have the sense to do something (=behave in a sensible way and do what is best in that situation)
    You should have had the sense to turn off the electricity first.
    there is no sense in (doing) something spoken (=it is not sensible to do something)
    There’s no sense in getting upset about it now.
    see sense (=realize what is the sensible thing to do)
    I wish the politicians would see sense and stop the war.
    talk/knock some sense into somebody (=try to make someone behave in a more sensible way) ⇨ common sense
5. make sense
  a. to have a clear meaning and be easy to understand:
    Read this and tell me if it makes sense.
  b. to be a sensible thing to do
    it makes sense (for somebody) to do something
    It makes sense to save money while you can.
    Would it make sense for the city authorities to further restrict parking?
  c. if something makes sense, there seems to be a good reason or explanation for it:
    Why did she do a thing like that? It doesn’t seem to make sense.
6. make (some) sense of something to understand something, especially something difficult or complicated:
    Can you make any sense of this article?
7. [countable] the meaning of a word, sentence, phrase etc:
    The word ‘record’ has several different senses.
    Any alteration would spoil the sense of the entire poem.
8. [countable] a way in which something can be true or real
    in a sense/in one sense/in some senses etc (=in one way, in some ways etc)
    What he says is right, in a sense.
    The hotel was in no sense (=not at all) comfortable.
    George was a big man in every sense of the word (=in every way).
    This is true in a general sense.
    Communication, in any real sense (=of any real kind), was extremely limited.
    in a (very) real sense (=used to emphasize that a statement or description is true)
    A head of a school is a manager in a very real sense.
9. your/her etc senses someone’s ability to think clearly and behave sensibly – used in some expressions when you think that someone has lost this ability
    come to your senses (=to start to think clearly and behave sensibly again)
    One day he’ll come to his senses and see what a fool he’s been.
    See if you can bring her to her senses (=make someone think clearly and behave sensibly).
    be out of your senses (=have lost the ability to think clearly and behave sensibly)
    Are you completely out of your senses? ⇨ take leave of your senses at leave²(6)
10. talk sense spoken to say things that are reasonable or sensible – often used when you think someone has just said something silly:
    Talk sense__ There’s no way we can afford a new car__
11. regain your senses old-fashioned to stop feeling faint or slightly sick
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 1)

■ adjectives
   ▪ a strong/great sense of something He had a strong sense of responsibility.
   ▪ a real sense of something (=a strong feeling) Children need to feel a real sense of belonging.
   ▪ a deep sense of something (=a very strong feeling) He felt a deep sense of disappointment.
   ▪ a growing sense of something (=becoming stronger) She looked around with a growing sense of unease.
   ▪ a vague/slight sense of something (=not very strong) There was a slight sense of embarrassment.
■ verbs
   ▪ feel/have a sense of something I felt a great sense of pride.
   ▪ give somebody a sense of something The job gave her a sense of control over her life.
   ▪ convey a sense of something We want to convey our sense of excitement to the audience.
■ phrases
   ▪ a sense of relief/panic/guilt etc We reached the medical centre with a sense of relief.
   ▪ a sense of purpose/direction (=a feeling that you know what you are trying to achieve) Becoming a mother had given her a new sense of purpose.
   ▪ a sense of urgency (=a feeling that something is urgent) The rescuers felt a real sense of urgency now.
   ▪ a sense of responsibility/duty (=a feeling that you must do something because it is right) Parents try to give their children a sense of responsibility.
   ▪ a sense of loss (=a feeling of sadness for someone or something you no longer have) Many women experience a sense of loss when their children leave home.
   ▪ a sense of achievement/satisfaction (=a feeling that you have achieved something good) Even a small success gives a sense of achievement.
   ▪ a sense of security (=a feeling that you are safe) A lack of trust in the parents can undermine the child's sense of security at home.
   ▪ a false sense of security (=a feeling that you are safe, which is not actually true) They were lulled into a false sense of security.
   ▪ a sense of identity (=a feeling of knowing who you are and how you belong to a community) Change can threaten our fragile sense of identity.
   ▪ a sense of belonging (=a feeling that you belong to a group) The organization tries to foster a sense of belonging through these social events.
   ▪ a sense of occasion (=a feeling that an event is special or important) It was a marvellous day and there was a real sense of occasion.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 2)

■ phrases
   ▪ a sense of humour British English, a sense of humor American English (=the ability to laugh and enjoy things that are funny) A good teacher needs a sense of humour.
   ▪ a sense of fun (=the ability to enjoy yourself and make things fun) What I liked about Maria was her sense of fun.
   ▪ a sense of direction (=the ability to judge which way you should be going) The place was completely dark and I lost all sense of direction.
   ▪ a sense of proportion (=the ability to judge how important or unimportant something is) It’s important to keep a sense of proportion.
   ▪ a sense of timing (=the ability to choose the right moment to do or say something) He told the story with an exquisite sense of timing.
   ▪ a sense of justice/fairness I appealed to her sense of justice.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + sense
   ▪ a good/great sense of something He is a popular boy with a good sense of humour.
   ▪ a natural sense of something (=a natural ability) She did not have a natural sense of direction.
   ▪ a keen sense of something (=a good ability to judge something) As a lawyer, he had a keen sense of the value of political connections.
   ▪ dress/clothes sense (=an ability to choose clothes well) Her dress sense was faultless.
   ▪ business sense (=an ability to make good decisions in business) Few young people have much business sense.
■ verbs
   ▪ have a sense of something She seems to have a great sense of the right thing to say.
   ▪ lose your sense of something Come on__ Have you lost your sense of humour?
   ▪ lose all sense of something He seemed to have lost all sense of proportion.
   ▪ keep/retain a sense of something Throughout it all she retained her sense of fun.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 3)

■ phrases
   ▪ a sense of smell/taste/touch etc We lose some of the sense of taste as we get older.
   ▪ the five senses We use all five senses to explore the world around us.
■ adjectives
   ▪ a good/keen/acute sense of something Pigs have a keen sense of smell.
   ▪ a poor sense of something Owls and other predatory birds have a poor sense of smell.
■ verbs
   ▪ have a sense of something You have to have a good sense of hearing to play the violin.
   ▪ lose your sense of something I think I’m losing my sense of smell.
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 8)

■ phrases
   ▪ in a sense (also in one sense) The results are not terribly surprising in one sense.
   ▪ in some sense (also in some senses) George was perfectly right in some senses.
   ▪ in every sense He is lucky in every sense.
   ▪ in no sense (=not at all) This is in no sense a criticism.
   ▪ in a general/broad sense In a general sense, a rapid rate of technological change creates uncertainty.
   ▪ in a (very) real sense (=used to emphasise that a statement or description is true) The truth is that in a very real sense most families in Britain are not poor.
   ▪ in a literal sense (=according to the actual or physical meaning of words) I wasn't suggesting that in a literal sense.

II

sense² verb [transitive]1. if you sense something, you feel that it exists or is true, without being told or having proof:
    Perhaps he sensed your distrust.
    sense (that)
    I could sense that something was wrong.
    sense what/how/who etc
    Hugo had already sensed how unhappy she was.
    sense danger/trouble
    If a prairie dog senses danger, he whistles a warning.
2. if a machine senses something, it discovers and records it:
    an electronic device used for sensing intruders
     

COLLOCATIONS

(for Meaning 2)

■ nouns
   ▪ sense danger He stiffened, sensing danger.
   ▪ sense trouble The other women, sensing trouble, immediately began to edge away.
   ▪ sense the tension I could sense the tension in the court as the jury returned.
   ▪ sense sb’s presence (=be aware that someone is there) He sensed her presence, but didn’t look at her.
   ▪ sense sb’s fear/excitement/reluctance etc Luke paused and she sensed his reluctance to continue.
   ▪ sense sb’s mood (=be aware of how someone is feeling) He instinctively sensed her mood and changed the subject.