instinctive

/in'stiɳktiv/ Cách viết khác : (instinctual) /in'stiɳktjuəl/

Thân thiện

Offering help to someone in need is an instinctive reaction.

Definition

Adjective: 1. Relating to or prompted by instinct: An "instinctive" action, feeling, or reaction is one that is natural, automatic, and not based on conscious thought or learning. It is an inherent, often biological, tendency. 2. Done without conscious thought: Something is "instinctive" when it happens spontaneously, as if by a natural impulse, without the need for planning or reasoning.

Usage

The adjective "instinctive" is used to describe behaviors, reactions, or feelings that are innate and automatic. It often implies that the action is a fundamental, unlearned part of an organism's nature. - It typically comes before a noun (e.g., an instinctive reaction) or after a linking verb like "be" or "seem" (e.g., His fear was instinctive).

Examples

• Before a noun:
  • The mother had an instinctive urge to protect her child.
  • When he slipped, his instinctive response was to reach out and grab the railing.
• After a linking verb:
  • Her distrust of the stranger was completely instinctive.
  • Pulling your hand away from a hot surface is instinctive.

Advanced Usage

• Instinctive vs. Instinctual: While often used interchangeably, "instinctive" is more common and broadly applies to automatic behaviors. "Instinctual" is also an adjective with the same core meaning but is sometimes used in more technical or psychological contexts to refer specifically to behaviors arising from primal instincts.
  • His instinctual drive for survival took over.
• "As instinctive as...": A common comparative structure to emphasize how natural and automatic something is.
  • For her, kindness was as instinctive as breathing.

Variants and Related Words

• Instinct (noun): The natural impulse or inherent tendency that drives instinctive behavior.
  • Birds have an instinct to migrate.
• Instinctively (adverb): In an instinctive manner.
  • She instinctively ducked when the ball flew toward her.
• Instinctual (adjective): Relating to or based on instinct. (See "Advanced Usage" above).

Synonyms

• Innate: Inborn; existing from birth.
• Intuitive: Using or based on what feels to be true without conscious reasoning.
• Automatic: Done spontaneously without conscious thought.
• Involuntary: Done without conscious control.
• Natural: Existing in or derived from nature; not artificial.

Antonyms

• Learned: Acquired through experience or education.
• Conscious: Done with awareness and intention.
• Deliberate: Done consciously and intentionally.
• Rational: Based on reason or logic.

Idioms and Phrases

• Act on instinct: To behave in a way driven by natural impulse rather than conscious decision.
  • He didn't have time to think; he just had to act on instinct.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. unthinking; prompted by (or as if by) instinct
   • a cat's natural aversion to water
   • offering to help was as instinctive as breathing

Từ đồng nghĩa

• natural