sensation

/sɛnˈseɪʃɪn/

/sɛnˈseɪʃən/

Other forms: sensations

A sensation is a type of feeling, picked up by one of the five senses. Peppercorns will give you the sensation of a million tiny pinpricks on your tongue.

A sensation is something from your senses. If you lose sensation in your feet, they are numb and it's time for you to get up and move around to restore blood flow. You can call something a sensation if it is wonderful and astonishing. Your parents will tell you that you were a sensation in the school play. Everyone will want to go see the special-effects movie that critics are calling a worldwide sensation.

Definitions of sensation

1. noun

   an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
   “a sensation of touch”

   synonyms: aesthesis, esthesis, sense datum, sense experience, sense impression

   types:

   limen, threshold

   the smallest detectable sensation

   masking

   the blocking of one sensation resulting from the presence of another sensation

   vision, visual sensation

   the perceptual experience of seeing

   odor, odour, olfactory perception, olfactory sensation, smell

   the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form

   gustatory perception, gustatory sensation, taste, taste perception, taste sensation

   the sensation that results when taste buds in the tongue and throat convey information about the chemical composition of a soluble stimulus

   auditory sensation, sound

   the subjective sensation of hearing something

   synaesthesia, synesthesia

   a sensation that normally occurs in one sense modality occurs when another modality is stimulated

   absolute threshold

   the lowest level of stimulation that a person can detect

   difference limen, difference threshold, differential limen, differential threshold

   the smallest change in stimulation that a person can detect

   scent

   an odor left in passing by which a person or animal can be traced

   aroma, fragrance, perfume, scent

   a distinctive odor that is pleasant

   fetor, foetor, malodor, malodour, mephitis, reek, stench, stink

   a distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant

   flavor, flavour, nip, relish, sapidity, savor, savour, smack, tang

   the taste experience when a savory condiment is taken into the mouth

   sugariness, sweet, sweetness

   the taste experience when sugar dissolves in the mouth

   sour, sourness, tartness

   the taste experience when vinegar or lemon juice is taken into the mouth

   bitter, bitterness

   the taste experience when quinine or coffee is taken into the mouth

   acridity

   having an acrid smell

   salinity, salt, saltiness

   the taste experience when common salt is taken into the mouth

   astringence, astringency

   a sharp astringent taste; the taste experience when a substance causes the mouth to pucker

   finish

   (wine tasting) the taste of a wine on the back of the tongue (as it is swallowed)

   flatness

   a deficiency in flavor

   mellowness

   a taste (especially of fruit) that is ripe and of full flavor

   euphony, music

   any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds

   music

   (music) the sounds produced by singers or musical instruments (or reproductions of such sounds)

   pure tone, tone

   a steady sound without overtones

   dissonance, noise, racket

   the auditory experience of sound that lacks musical quality; sound that is a disagreeable auditory experience

   dub

   the new sounds added by dubbing

   chromaesthesia, chromesthesia

   a form of synesthesia in which nonvisual stimulation results in the experience of color sensations

   type of:

   perception

   the process of perceiving
2. noun

   the faculty through which the external world is apprehended
   synonyms: sense, sensory faculty, sentience, sentiency

   types:

   modality, sense modality, sensory system

   a particular sense

   sensibility, sensitiveness, sensitivity

   (physiology) responsiveness to external stimuli; the faculty of sensation

   acuteness

   a sensitivity that is keen and highly developed

   hypersensitivity

   extreme sensitivity

   reactivity, responsiveness

   responsive to stimulation

   exteroception

   sensitivity to stimuli originating outside of the body

   interoception

   sensitivity to stimuli originating inside of the body

   photosensitivity, radiosensitivity

   sensitivity to the action of radiant energy

   sight, vision, visual modality, visual sense

   the ability to see; the visual faculty

   somatosense

   any of the sensory systems that mediate sensations of pressure and tickle and warmth and cold and vibration and limb position and limb movement and pain

   audition, auditory modality, auditory sense, hearing, sense of hearing

   the ability to hear; the auditory faculty

   gustation, gustatory modality, sense of taste, taste

   the faculty of distinguishing sweet, sour, bitter, and salty properties in the mouth

   olfaction, olfactory modality, sense of smell, smell

   the faculty that enables us to distinguish scents

   type of:

   faculty, mental faculty, module

   one of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the mind
3. noun

   a general feeling of excitement and heightened interest
   “anticipation produced in me a sensation somewhere between hope and fear”

   type of:

   stir

   emotional agitation and excitement
4. noun

   a state of widespread public excitement and interest
   “the news caused a sensation”

   type of:

   excitation, excitement, fervor, fervour, inflammation

   the state of being emotionally aroused and worked up
5. noun

   someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
   synonyms: ace, adept, champion, genius, hotshot, maven, mavin, star, superhero, superstar, virtuoso, whiz, whizz, wiz, wizard

   types:

   track star

   a star runner

   type of:

   expert, pundit

   a person with special knowledge or ability who performs skillfully