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. 她似乎没有任何通常的母性。 - 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 Biologyc1Artists 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，他似乎缺乏杀手的本能。 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. 她有明确的经商本能。 The instinct for migration seems to be programmed into some birds and not others. 迁徙的本能似乎被编入了一些鸟类的程序，而不是其他的。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- deep
- powerful
- strong
- …
- have
- possess
- lack
- …
- tell somebody something
- drive somebody
- guide somebody
- …
- by instinct
- on instinct
- instinct for
- …
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. 我过去一直相信自己的直觉。 It's best to follow your first instincts in matters like this. 在这种事情上，最好遵循你的第一直觉。 - instinct about somebody/something
Her instincts about him had been right. 她对他的直觉是正确的。 - instinct for…
He had a gut instinct for when people were lying to him. 他对人们何时对他撒谎有直觉。 - on instinct
I acted purely on instinct. 我完全是凭本能行事。
Extra ExamplesHer 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
- …
Word Originlate Middle English (also in the sense ‘instigation, impulse’): from Latin instinctus ‘impulse’, from the verb instinguere, from in- ‘towards’ + stinguere ‘to prick’.