Synonyms for instinct
- noun
Most common
Definitions
- n. 1
A natural or inherent impulse or behaviour.
Many animals fear fire by instinct.
Related words
- Word family
- instinctive instinctively instinctual
- Phrases
- death instinct gut instinct herding instinct herd instinct
Forms
- Plural
- instincts → impulses, intuitions, inclinations, tendencies…
Choose the right word
The instinct of animals is now held by many philosophers to be of the same nature as the intellect of man, but inferior and limited; yet the apparent difference is very great. An instinct is a propensity prior to experience and independent of instruction.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- tendency She seems to have a tendency to exaggerate things.
- impulse You people are urged to drop the earthly impulse.
- intuition Tom has a prophetic level of paranoid intuition.
- inclination I have a natural inclination towards organization.
- proclivity Your record indicates a proclivity for violence.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| instinct | rising | |
| tendency | falling | |
| impulse | steady | |
| intuition | rising | |
| inclination | steady | |
| proclivity | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 7 letters
- impulse2
- 8 letters
- tendency3
- 9 letters
- intuition4
- 10 letters
- proclivity4
- 11 letters
- inclination4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (impulse2 = 2 syllables).