gut feeling

What it means

A gut feeling is an instinctive sense or intuition about a person, situation, or decision, not based on conscious analysis. People often act on a gut feeling when interviewing candidates, choosing partners, or making fast judgments where data alone isn't enough.

Examples

• My gut feeling told me to take the job offer.
• Don't ignore that gut feeling about the deal.
• She trusted her gut feeling and walked out of the meeting.
• Detectives often rely partly on gut feeling, not just evidence.

Where it comes from

An English expression rooted in the very old idea that the gut, not just the head, is a center of feeling and instinct — visible in older phrases like 'gut reaction' and 'have the guts.' The specific phrase 'gut feeling' became common in 20th-century English, especially in business, sports, and crime contexts.

Related idioms