What does instinct mean?
Word: Instinct
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Instinct means a natural feeling or way of behaving that you are born with and do not have to learn; also a quick feeling about what is right.
Synonyms: intuition, gut feeling, urge
How do you spell instinct?
Syllables: in - stinct
Tricky part: Near the end, a c is hardly heard before the t, so students write instint or instinkt.
Watch out for: instint, instinkt, insting
Memory tip: The k sound you hear just before the last letter is written with a c: a c and a t close the word, as they close fact and act.
Idioms and Phrases
- by instinct: Without thinking or being taught. Example: "The goalkeeper dived to the left by instinct."
Instinct in a sentence
Example 1: My instinct told me not to swim in the rough sea that day.
Example 2: Babies have an instinct to hold on tightly to a finger.
Example 3: Trust your instinct when the first answer feels right.
Fun Fact
Young common cuckoos fly from Europe to Africa for the winter, weeks after the adult cuckoos have left, so no parent shows them the way. Scientists think instinct guides them.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word instinct as used in the sentence:
Her first instinct was to catch the falling glass before it hit the floor.
a) argument
b) lesson
c) impulse
d) excuse
Show answer
c) impulse. She acted at once without stopping to think, and that sudden urge is an impulse.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Newly hatched turtles follow their icttnnis straight to the sea.
a) intent
b) insist
c) instinct
d) instant
Show answer
c) instinct. Instant needs an a, intent an e and insist a second s, so only instinct uses every letter.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to complete the word:
in_ti_ct
a) z, n
b) s, m
c) s, n
d) c, n
Show answer
c) s, n. The second part is stinct, with an s after in and an n before the c.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word:
1. instinct 2. memery 3. habbit 4. curiousity
a) something you do so often you hardly notice
b) an inborn urge that needs no teaching
c) the power to remember things
d) a strong wish to know about things
Show answer
b) an inborn urge that needs no teaching. Habbit doubles its b, memery has an e where an o belongs, and curiousity keeps a u it should lose; only instinct is correct.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these is an example of instinct?
a) a newborn calf standing up to drink
b) a pupil learning to use a computer
c) a cyclist practising for a race
d) a child memorising a times table
Show answer
a) a newborn calf standing up to drink
2. When Asha's instinct told her an answer was wrong, she had ____.
a) a feeling she could not explain
b) the answer key in her bag
c) a list of reasons on paper
d) a hint from her class teacher
Show answer
a) a feeling she could not explain
