sixth sense, a

sixth sense

1. A supernatural ability to sense or perceive that which is hidden to the normal five senses (sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste). A rumor started that the little girl possessed a sixth sense, allowing her to hear the whispers of the dead.2. An extremely keen or accurate intuition, as about what will happen or the best course of action. My mom always seems to have a sixth sense when we're about to get into trouble. Jim's always had a sixth sense when it comes to investing his money wisely.See also: sense, sixth

sixth sense

a supposed power to know or feel things that are not perceptible by the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. My sixth sense told me to avoid going home by my usual route. Later I discovered there had been a fatal accident on it. Jane's sixth sense demanded that she not trust Tom, even though he seemed honest enough.See also: sense, sixth

sixth sense

Keen intuition, as in She had a sixth sense that they would find it in the cellar. This term alludes to a sense in addition to the five physical senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. [c. 1800] See also: sense, sixth

a sixth sense

If you have a sixth sense about something, you have a feeling about it that does not come from seeing, hearing, touching, tasting or smelling it. A sixth sense warned me that something didn't feel right.See also: sense, sixth

a sixth ˈsense

a special ability to know something without using any of the five senses that include sight, touch, etc: A kind of sixth sense told her that there was someone else in the room, and she turned round quickly.See also: sense, sixth

sixth sense, a

Intuitive knowledge. The term alludes to a sense in addition to those of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, and dates from about 1800. “In Germany it has of late been attempted to be shown that every man is possessed of a sixth sense,” wrote J. M. Good (The Study of Medicine, 1829). Although today we also call it “extrasensory perception” (or ESP), the expression sixth sense is still heard.See also: sixth