What it means
That little hunch in your stomach when something feels off, or strangely right, before you can explain why. It’s basically your brain doing the maths in the background and sending up a flare. You’ll hear it when a deal sounds too good, a date gives weird vibes, or you’re eyeing a suspect takeaway. Ignore it at your peril.
Usage examples
"I had a gut feeling that job was a mess, so I passed. Two weeks later they rang back, already hiring again."
"I had a gut feeling about that flat the moment I walked in, signed the lease two days later."
"Trust your gut feeling on this hire, the CV looks fine but something feels off in the interview."
Where it comes from
Compound built on the centuries-old English association between the gut and intuition: think of "gut reaction" (1960s psychology) and the older "to know in one's gut". Modern neuroscience now backs the metaphor up, since the enteric nervous system genuinely signals to the brain. The phrase moved from the doctor's lecture to the boardroom and the kitchen table, where everyone uses it to justify hunches.
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