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