5 → see also sense of occasion
6 N‑SING If you have a sense of guilt or relief, for example, you feel guilty or relieved. □ [+ of ] When your child is struggling for life, you feel this overwhelming sense of guilt.
7 N‑SING If you have a sense of something such as duty or justice, you are aware of it and believe it is important. □ [+ of ] We must keep a sense of proportion about all this. □ [+ of ] She needs to regain a sense of her own worth.
8 N‑SING [oft n N ] Someone who has a sense of timing or style has a natural ability with regard to timing or style. You can also say that someone has a bad sense of timing or style. □ [+ of ] He has an impeccable sense of timing. □ Her dress sense is appalling.
9 → see also sense of humour
10 N‑UNCOUNT Sense is the ability to make good judgments and to behave sensibly. □ …when he was younger and had a bit more sense. □ When that doesn't work they sometimes have the sense to seek help.
11 → see also common sense
12 N‑SING [with neg, N in v-ing] If you say that there is no sense or little sense in doing something, you mean that it is not a sensible thing to do because nothing useful would be gained by doing it. □ [+ in ] There's no sense in pretending this doesn't happen.
13 N‑COUNT A sense of a word or expression is one of its possible meanings. □ …a noun which has two senses. □ [+ of ] Then she remembered that they had no mind in any real sense of that word.
14 PHRASE Sense is used in several expressions to indicate how true your statement is. For example, if you say that something is true in a sense , you mean that it is partly true, or true in one way. If you say that something is true in a general sense , you mean that it is true in a general way. □ In a sense, both were right. □ In one sense, the fact that few new commercial buildings can be financed does not matter. □ He's not the leader in a political sense. □ Though his background was modest, it was in no sense deprived.
15 PHRASE If something makes sense , you can understand it. □ He was sitting there saying, 'Yes, the figures make sense.'
16 PHRASE When you make sense of something, you succeed in understanding it. □ This is to help her make sense of past experiences.
17 PHRASE If a course of action makes sense , it seems sensible. □ It makes sense to look after yourself. □ The project should be re-appraised to see whether it made sound economic sense.
18 PHRASE If you say that someone has come to their senses or has been brought to their senses , you mean that they have stopped being foolish and are being sensible again. □ Eventually the world will come to its senses and get rid of them.
19 PHRASE If you say that someone seems to have taken leave of their senses , you mean that they have done or said something very foolish. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ They looked at me as if I had taken leave of my senses.
20 PHRASE If you say that someone talks sense , you mean that what they say is sensible.
21 PHRASE If you have a sense that something is true or get a sense that something is true, you think that it is true. [mainly SPOKEN ] □ Do you have the sense that you are loved by the public?
22 to see sense → see see
sense|less /se nsləs/
1 ADJ If you describe an action as senseless , you think it is wrong because it has no purpose and produces no benefit. □ …people whose lives have been destroyed by acts of senseless violence.
2 ADJ [ADJ after v, v-link ADJ ] If someone is senseless , they are unconscious. □ They were knocked to the ground, beaten senseless and robbed of their wallets.
se nse of di|re c|tion
1 N‑SING Your sense of direction is your ability to know roughly where you are, or which way to go, even when you are in an unfamiliar place. □ He had a poor sense of direction and soon got lost.
2 N‑SING If you say that someone has a sense of direction , you mean that they seem to have clear ideas about what they want to do or achieve. [APPROVAL ] □ The country now had a sense of direction again.
se nse of hu |mour in AM, use sense of humor N‑SING Someone who has a sense of humour often finds things amusing, rather than being serious all the time. □ He had enormous charm and a great sense of humour.
se nse of oc|ca |sion N‑SING If there is a sense of occasion when a planned event takes place, people feel that something special and important is happening. □ There is a great sense of occasion and a terrific standard of musicianship.
se nse or|gan (sense organs ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Your sense organs are the parts of your body, for example your eyes and your ears, which enable you to be aware of things around you. [FORMAL ]
sen|sibil|ity /se ns I b I l I ti/ (sensibilities )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Sensibility is the ability to experience deep feelings. □ Everything he writes demonstrates the depth of his sensibility.
2 N‑VAR [usu poss N ] Someone's sensibility is their tendency to be influenced or offended by things. □ The challenge offended their sensibilities.
sen|sible ◆◇◇ /se ns I b ə l/
1 ADJ Sensible actions or decisions are good because they are based on reasons rather than emotions. □ It might be sensible to get a solicitor. □ The sensible thing is to leave them alone. □ …sensible advice. ● sen|sibly /se ns I bli/ ADV [ADV with v] □ He sensibly decided to lie low for a while.