ˌɡʊd ˈsɛn(t)s ˌɡʊd ˈsɛns ˈɡʌmpʃən sɛnˈseɪʃən sɛn(t)s sɛn(t)s ˈsɛnʃəns smɛl discern I sensed the real meaning of his letter become aware of not through the senses but instinctively I sense his hostility I smell trouble smell out corruption perceive by a physical sensation, e.g., coming from the skin or muscles He felt the wind She felt an object brushing her arm He felt his flesh crawl She felt the heat when she got out of the car detect some circumstance or entity automatically This robot can sense the presence of people in the room particle detectors sense ionization sound practical judgment Common sense is not so common he hasn't got the sense God gave little green apples fortunately she had the good sense to run away the faculty through which the external world is apprehended in the dark he had to depend on touch and on his senses of smell and hearing a general conscious awareness a sense of security a sense of happiness a sense of danger a sense of self a natural appreciation or ability a keen musical sense a good sense of timing the meaning of a word or expression; the way in which a word or expression or situation can be interpreted the dictionary gave several senses for the word in the best sense, charity is really a duty the signifier is linked to the signified