in·stinct
noun/ˈɪnstɪŋkt/
/ˈɪnstɪŋkt/
[uncountable, countable]- a natural quality that makes people and animals tend to behave in a particular way using the knowledge and abilities that they were born with rather than thought or training
本能；天性 - She did not seem to have any of the usual maternal instincts.
她似乎没有任何平常的母性本能。 - by instinct Children do not know by instinct the difference between right and wrong.
儿童并非生来就会分辨是非。 - instinct (is) to do something His first instinct was to run away.
他的本能反应就是逃跑。 - instinct for (doing) something Horses have a well-developed instinct for fear.
马天性易受惊吓。 - Even at school, he showed he had an instinct for (= was naturally good at) business.
他早在求学时期就表现出经商的天赋。
Extra ExamplesTopics Biologyc1- Artists have to learn to be guided by their instincts.
艺术家必须学会跟从自己的直觉。 - Babies know by instinct who their mother is.
婴儿生来就知道谁是母亲。 - Both superpowers shared the same instinct for self-preservation.
两个超级大国均有相同的自保本能。 - He has an instinct for survival in a tough job.
他具有在艰苦工作中求得生存的本能。 - Her instincts took over and she dived on the escaping thief.
她的本能占了上风，她猛地朝逃跑的窃贼扑了过去。 - In negotiating you have to develop an instinct for when to be tough and when to make a deal.
在谈判中必须练就一种直觉，知道何时该强硬，何时该妥协。 - They accused the campaign of appealing to the electorate's baser instincts.
他们指责这场竞选活动是在迎合全体选民更为低劣的本性。 - What makes all these people come to the club? In my view it's the herd instinct.
是什么原因让这些人都来俱乐部呢？依我看来是群居本能。 - Why don't you just follow your natural instincts?
你何不听从自己的直觉呢？ - As a player he seemed to lack the killer instinct.
作为一名球员，他似乎缺乏杀手本能。 - Most people have a well-developed survival instinct.
大多数人都有良好的求生本能。 - She has a definite instinct for business.
她对商业有着明确的直觉。 - The instinct for migration seems to be programmed into some birds and not others.
迁徙的本能似乎是某些鸟类的本能，而另一些鸟类却没有。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- deep
- powerful
- strong
- …
- have
- possess
- lack
- …
- tell somebody something
- drive somebody
- guide somebody
- …
- by instinct
- on instinct
- instinct for
- …
- She did not seem to have any of the usual maternal instincts.
- a feeling that makes you do something or believe that something is true, even though it is not based on facts or reason
直觉 - I've always trusted my instincts in the past.
过去我一直相信我的直觉。 - It's best to follow your first instincts in matters like this.
在此类问题上最好遵循您的第一直觉。 - instinct about somebody/something Her instincts about him had been right.
她那时对他的直觉是对的。 - instinct for… He had a gut instinct for when people were lying to him.
他有一种本能，知道别人何时在对他撒谎。 - on instinct I acted purely on instinct.
我的行为完全出自本能。
Extra Examples- Her instinct told her that she was being followed.
直觉告诉她自己被人跟踪了。 - Out of pure instinct, he moved back a little.
纯粹出于本能反应，他后退了一点儿。 - Against her better instincts, she ran back into the burning house to save some of her jewellery.
她没有听从自己准确的直觉，跑回起火的房子拿珠宝首饰。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- deep
- powerful
- strong
- …
- have
- possess
- lack
- …
- tell somebody something
- drive somebody
- guide somebody
- …
- by instinct
- on instinct
- instinct for
- …
- I've always trusted my instincts in the past.
Word Originlate Middle English (also in the sense ‘instigation, impulse’): from Latin instinctus ‘impulse’, from the verb instinguere, from in- ‘towards’ + stinguere ‘to prick’.