/ˈɪnstɪŋkt ||; ˈɪnstɪŋkt/noun
[C,U] the natural force that causes a person or animal to behave in a particular way without thinking or learning about it 本能:
Birds learn to fly by instinct.鸟类靠本能学会飞翔。In a situation like that you don't have time to think -- you just act on instinct.在那种情况下,你没有时间考虑,只是凭直觉行事。 ➔instinctive /ɪnˈstɪŋktɪv ||; ɪnˈstɪŋktɪv/ adjYour instinctive reaction is to run from danger.闪避危险是你的本能反应。 ➔instinctivelyadv
instinct/ˋInstIŋkt; ˈInstIŋkt/n [C,U] a natural ability or feeling that makes people or animals know something or behave in a particular way 本能﹔直觉﹔天性: Instinct told me something was wrong. 直觉告诉我出了问题。+for Animals have a natural instinct for survival. 动物具有求生本能。instinct to do sth a cat's instinct to kill birds 猫咬死鸟的天性 —instinctive /InˋstIŋktIv; InˈstIŋktIv/adj : an instinctive reaction 本能的反应 —instinctively adv
instinctinstinctinstinctsnounsomething that makes people and animals do certain things without thinking or learning about them: Birds build their nests by instinct.▶ instinctiveadjective: Animals have an instinctive fear of fire.