instinctin‧stinct /ˈɪnstɪŋkt/ ●●○ noun [countable, uncountable] 
Animals have a natural instinct for survival.instinct to do something the human instinct to form relationshipsby instinct Birds build nests by instinct.sexual/maternal/survival instinct Her instinct told her that something was wrong.somebody’s first instinct (=what someone feels like doing first when something happens) His first instinct was to rush back to Isobel.COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + instincta deep/strong/powerful instinct· He bent down, obeying a deep instinct to protect himself from danger.a natural instinct· I followed my natural instinct to run away.somebody's first/initial instinct· His first instinct was to try and hide.somebody's gut instinct informal (=someone's first instinct)· Her gut instinct about Jimmy had been right.human instinct· It's a natural human instinct to comfort someone who is unhappy.animal instinct· It's animal instinct to attack the leader of the herd when his strength begins to fail.a basic instinct· The need to survive is the most basic instinct that we have.survival instinct (=an instinct to survive in a difficult situation)· Survival instinct told me to get up and run.killer instinct (=an instinct to kill, harm or defeat someone)· The team needs to develop the killer instinct.competitive instinct (=an instinct to compete against others and try to win)· He now channels his competitive instincts into his job.maternal instinct (=the instinct of a mother)· Kate's maternal instinct told her to pick the child up and comfort it.political instinct· The minister's shrewd political instincts didn't let him down.business/commercial instinct· I have faith in your business instinct.verbstrust your instinct(s) (also rely on your instincts) (=believe that your instincts are correct)· I've trusted my instincts in the past and they've usually been right.go on your instinct(s) informal (=trust your instincts)· I just went on my instincts and refused his offer.follow/obey your instinct(s) (=do what your instinct tells you to do)· You should obey your instincts when dealing with strangers.have the instinct to do something· She had the instinct to see what made people unhappy.lack the instinct to do something· He lacked the instinct to attack another human being.an instinct tells somebody something· Every instinct told her that he was telling the truth.
WORD ORIGINinstinct
Origin:
1400-1500 Latin instinctus, from instinguere ‘to make someone wish to do something’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A cat's natural instinct is to chase birds.
- Even a very young animal has a strong instincts for self-preservation.
- Guys who have grown up on a ranch know almost by instinct what needs to be done to keep it running.
- He has tremendous business instincts.
- I don't know if it was maternal instinct or what, but I just knew my baby would be okay.
- I was terrified. I was just working on instinct and trying to survive.
- My instincts tell me that she's not the right woman for you.
- My first instinct was to lie about it.
Longman Language Activatora natural ability to know what to do
a natural ability to know what you should do without having to learn it or be told it: · He has tremendous business instincts.first instinct (=the first thing you want to do, before you think carefully): · My first instinct was to lie about it.instinct for: · Even a very young animal has a strong instinct for self-preservation.on instinct: · I was terrified. I was just working on instinct and trying to survive.by instinct (=because of instinct): · Guys who have grown up on a ranch know almost by instinct what needs to be done to keep it running.natural instinct: · A cat's natural instinct is to chase birds.maternal instinct (=instincts about wanting a baby and knowing how to care for it): · I don't know if it was maternal instinct or what, but I just knew my baby would be okay.
the ability to understand or know things by using your feelings instead of considering the facts: · Sometimes doctors have to base a diagnosis on intuition as much as on scientific tests.· She thought the baby would be a girl, and her intuition was correct.trust your intuition (=do what your intuition makes you want to do): · If you think there's something wrong about the situation, you should trust your intuition.
to feel that you know something, without understanding why you feel this: feel (that): · She felt that something else was going to happen and that it wouldn't be good.· I felt someone was following me, but when I turned around, there was nobody there.feel like: · I felt like if I didn't speak up then, I would never do it.
if you have a feeling that something is true or that something will happen, you feel sure about it, even though you do not know why: have a feeling (that): · I had a funny feeling that we would meet again· My fiancé's friends are planning a bachelor party for him, and I have a feeling something awful is going to happen.gut feeling informal (=a strong feeling that you are sure is right): · Her gut feeling was that he was lying.
a mysterious ability to know about something without seeing it, hearing about it, being told about it etc: have a sixth sense: · Parents have a sixth sense when it comes to their children. They know when something's wrong.sixth sense about: · He told me he had a sixth sense about how his mother was doing.
using instinct rather than knowledge based on instinct rather than on knowledge or thought: · He's considered a smart, instinctive politician.· His instinctive reaction was to duck when he heard the shot, even though he knew it was pointless.· White jazz seemed old and intellectual, whereas black jazz was vital, swinging, instinctive.
an intuitive understanding, judgement, or idea is completely based on feelings, not on facts or reasons, but is still correct: · Great novelists have an intuitive understanding of the workings of human emotions.· She had an intuitive ability to size up people and their capabilities.· Women are supposed to be more intuitive than men, but I don't know if that's true.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYADJECTIVES/NOUN + instinct the herd instinct (=the need to behave in the same way as everyone else does) She seems to have a strong maternal instinct (=desire to have babies and take care of them). Trust your instincts (=do what you feel is the right thing)!COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· He bent down, obeying a deep instinct to protect himself from danger.
· I followed my natural instinct to run away.
· His first instinct was to try and hide.
informal (=someone's first instinct)· Her gut instinct about Jimmy had been right.
· It's a natural human instinct to comfort someone who is unhappy.
· It's animal instinct to attack the leader of the herd when his strength begins to fail.
· The need to survive is the most basic instinct that we have.
(=an instinct to survive in a difficult situation)· Survival instinct told me to get up and run.
(=an instinct to kill, harm or defeat someone)· The team needs to develop the killer instinct.
(=an instinct to compete against others and try to win)· He now channels his competitive instincts into his job.
(=the instinct of a mother)· Kate's maternal instinct told her to pick the child up and comfort it.
· The minister's shrewd political instincts didn't let him down.
· I have faith in your business instinct.
verbs (also rely on your instincts) (=believe that your instincts are correct)· I've trusted my instincts in the past and they've usually been right.
informal (=trust your instincts)· I just went on my instincts and refused his offer.
(=do what your instinct tells you to do)· You should obey your instincts when dealing with strangers.
· She had the instinct to see what made people unhappy.
· He lacked the instinct to attack another human being.
· Every instinct told her that he was telling the truth.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES the herd instinct (=the need to behave in the same way as everyone else does) She seems to have a strong maternal instinct (=desire to have babies and take care of them). (=a natural ability to know how to survive)· My survival instinct told me to get up and run.
Trust your instincts (=do what you feel is the right thing)!· Our whole vocation is to transcend the baser instincts of the animal world and be stewards and not spoilers of creation.· So he could control his baser instincts!
· Brilliant pop shacked up with basic instincts.· A gut-level fear reaction that comes out of a basic survival instinct and which operates independently of the intellect.· It is, after all, a basic instinct to keep oneself clean and to eat.· Gentle gnawing on the tiny bones appeals to our most basic, primordial instincts.· You invoke the basic, primeval instincts inherent in all animals.· Innate robotic responses or patterns of rapid learning in animals may be nothing more than an extension of their basic instincts.· Revulsion as the most basic of the instincts.· None was working against its basic instincts, but with each bird she had created something more.
· Were these our primeval human instincts emerging?· Now in every human being there is a built-in human instinct system, without which we should not even come to birth.· Nationalism is linked to deep-rooted human instincts and can not be easily ascribed to clever politicians.· He battles with what we know so well-the powerful human instinct to preserve ourselves and avoid pain or conflict.· His central argument is that the root cause of our modern ills is the frustration of the human creative instinct.· They are our human instincts, parts of the beings we are.· We have human instincts, not those of other creatures.
· Pity probably, and an over-developed maternal instinct.· They would think her maternal instinct outraged at the extraction of her child?· The maternal instinct can't be dumped, even when you've got rid of your baby.· A strong maternal instinct takes over.
· I was whipped on against every natural instinct.· San Diego is populated by folks whose natural instinct is to take to the beach, not to the streets.· I feel certain the purpose of the slimness stems from the natural instinct to shoal in a compact body.· The characters are guided by their hearts and natural instincts to truth, right conduct and happiness.· It is a natural inclination and instinct to want our effort recognised and appreciated.· For me, drawing, designing, although coming from a very natural instinct, never has an esthetic finality.· Experience told him that a woman's natural instinct was to defend herself rather than to hurt the attacker.· While they are only following their natural instincts, digging can cause very serious problems in the longer term.
· All of her deepest, oldest instincts told her it was crazy to put her faith in any man.· Eventually, when the chicks are about 10 weeks old, instinct kicks in.· Republicans deplore his Old Democrat instincts.
· It is also a vindication of his political instincts.· After graduation from Johns Hopkins University, Kempton followed his leftist political instincts.
· Just the helpless-looking type to bring out Al Moore's protective instincts.· I have a protective instinct toward you.· His protective instincts thoroughly aroused, he changed roles.· It was the President, of course, who was the final object of their protective instincts.· Her protective instincts were wonderful to watch.· He looked over to the childlike form on his bed and felt a protective instinct so strong he almost wept.· Beneath Lais's brittle facade there was a childlike quality that brought out the protective instinct in him.
· Our intuition - linked to that strongest of instincts, survival - is often more accurate than logic or reason.· He favored moderate men with strong pastoral instincts and well-nuanced doctrinal views.· Our argument is that this type of politics has a strong basis in instincts and emotion as well as in political economy.· This is a country with strong democratic instincts.· But Imelda Finnegan was astute, strong in instinct.· He seems to have had the strongest instinct for cover.· The paratenic host is also of considerable significance because of the strong hunting instinct of cats.· A strong maternal instinct takes over.
NOUN· He was very conscious of the speculative status of his death instincts theory in Beyond the Pleasure Principle.· Freud was already sixty-four years old when the notion of the death instincts first appeared in Beyond the Pleasure Principle in 1920.
· The old man's gut instincts had always been good.· The staff member who received the flowers on this occasion did what she did through pure interest and gut instinct.· The Prime Minister's gut instinct is to secure a private sector future for the Tube.· He couldn't ignore his gut instinct, which had never failed him yet.· Ultimately, they blame Rupert Murdoch for losing confidence in his gut instincts.· It's a tremendous responsibility, and challenges all your skills and training, but it also depends a lot on gut instinct.· Something - that same gut instinct that made her get his address alerted her.
· In my view, it's the herd instinct.· It seems to me that the Cabinet has an obsessively self-protective herd instinct which could be its undoing.· But there is a herd instinct.
· On politics, it has none of the Washington Post's killer instincts.· Our firm nurtures the killer instinct.· A killer instinct required to spoil a tearful bon voyage party for a beloved figure.· The rest of the first-half saw Rangers produce several good moves, but the killer instinct was lacking.· This team is still trying to find a killer instinct.
· A gut-level fear reaction that comes out of a basic survival instinct and which operates independently of the intellect.· Hussein's craving for the limelight is second only to his survival instinct.· He judged his risks; he had an extraordinary survival instinct.· Deep in his sick brain his survival instinct warned him his injury was serious.· Although it is a by-product of the survival instinct, this empathy is genuine.· Her theory is that baby has a healthy survival instinct and is unlikely to attempt anything really dangerous.· Her tameness drops away like a spring moult, and her primitive survival instincts supplant everything else.
VERB· However, it is something for which one develops an instinct, or feel, over the years.· And it is our experience that successful entrepreneurs quickly develop a finely tuned instinct for investing their time in high-profit opportunities.
· At each stage Mr Kohl has followed his instincts, taken his chances - and won.· After graduation from Johns Hopkins University, Kempton followed his leftist political instincts.· It's unspeakably commonplace to follow one's instincts.· While they are only following their natural instincts, digging can cause very serious problems in the longer term.· Uncertain which route to take, and lacking the confidence to follow his instincts, the Prince turned in on himself.· In coming here, he was actually following psychic instinct, an indefinable but insinuating impulse to visit the court of Voronov-Vaux.· They have less need of instruction manuals and can follow their instincts and the dictates of their heart.· It is best for you to follow your instincts and make up your own ritual.
· However, I always allow the person to trust their own instincts in such matters.· We were doing step number one, trust our instincts, which told us there was terrible earth ahead.· Only human beings, feeling the hair on the back of their necks and trusting their instincts.· Well, I trust your instincts.· Perhaps the most important piece of advice of all is to trust your own instincts.· I nearly replied, but I shut my mouth instead, trusting some other instinct.· Better to keep your eyes open; better to trust your instincts and take deep breaths between the parked cars.· Be willing to take an unpopular stand and be the only one to benefit. 8. Trust your instincts.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► animal urges/instincts etc► follow your instincts/feelings/gut reaction etc
a natural tendency to behave in a particular way or a natural ability to know something, which is not learnedinstinct for- But my gut reaction was that, despite his reputation for being hot tempered, he was a friendly, likable child.
- For the ordinary viewer, logical argument gives way to his or her gut reactions and personal experience in responding to people.
- I have a gut feeling that the old partnerships between nature and culture have momentarily slipped out of our reach.
- It is more a gut feeling-a visceral distrust of foreigners.
- It was just a gut feeling, a sense of unease.
- Male speaker There's gut feeling amongst the officers on the ground that it may be drugs related.
- Personal reflections My gut reaction has always been against the placing of bolts, and I've never used them.
- We worked on gut feeling and it was very difficult to control and manage all the development work because of the technology involved.
- A killer instinct required to spoil a tearful bon voyage party for a beloved figure.
- On politics, it has none of the Washington Post's killer instincts.
- Our firm nurtures the killer instinct.
- The rest of the first-half saw Rangers produce several good moves, but the killer instinct was lacking.
- This team is still trying to find a killer instinct.
Animals have a natural instinct for survival.instinct to do something the human instinct to form relationshipsby instinct Birds build nests by instinct.sexual/maternal/survival instinct Her instinct told her that something was wrong.somebody’s first instinct (=what someone feels like doing first when something happens) His first instinct was to rush back to Isobel.COLLOCATIONSADJECTIVES/NOUN + instincta deep/strong/powerful instinct· He bent down, obeying a deep instinct to protect himself from danger.a natural instinct· I followed my natural instinct to run away.somebody's first/initial instinct· His first instinct was to try and hide.somebody's gut instinct informal (=someone's first instinct)· Her gut instinct about Jimmy had been right.human instinct· It's a natural human instinct to comfort someone who is unhappy.animal instinct· It's animal instinct to attack the leader of the herd when his strength begins to fail.a basic instinct· The need to survive is the most basic instinct that we have.survival instinct (=an instinct to survive in a difficult situation)· Survival instinct told me to get up and run.killer instinct (=an instinct to kill, harm or defeat someone)· The team needs to develop the killer instinct.competitive instinct (=an instinct to compete against others and try to win)· He now channels his competitive instincts into his job.maternal instinct (=the instinct of a mother)· Kate's maternal instinct told her to pick the child up and comfort it.political instinct· The minister's shrewd political instincts didn't let him down.business/commercial instinct· I have faith in your business instinct.verbstrust your instinct(s) (also rely on your instincts) (=believe that your instincts are correct)· I've trusted my instincts in the past and they've usually been right.go on your instinct(s) informal (=trust your instincts)· I just went on my instincts and refused his offer.follow/obey your instinct(s) (=do what your instinct tells you to do)· You should obey your instincts when dealing with strangers.have the instinct to do something· She had the instinct to see what made people unhappy.lack the instinct to do something· He lacked the instinct to attack another human being.an instinct tells somebody something· Every instinct told her that he was telling the truth.