sensation
gb/sɛnsˈeɪʃən/ us/sɛnsˈeɪʃən/
B1
English
~ 3400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
A physical feeling from senses
A feeling that you get from your body through touch, taste, smell, sight, or hearing.
Usage pattern:
to feel [a/an] sensation
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sensation' with 'emotion'. 'Sensation' is about the body’s physical feelings, not moods or feelings like happiness or sadness.
Synonyms
feeling (A more general term for any emotional or physical experience.)
Antonyms
numbness (The absence of physical sensation or feeling.)
Collocations
strange sensation
|burning sensation
|tingling sensation
|pleasant sensation
Themes
emotions
|health
|daily life
|body
Examples
- She felt a sharp sensation in her lower back.
- The icy water gave him a shock-like sensation.
- I have a tingling sensation in my fingers after the workout.
- The warm sunshine created a pleasant sensation on my skin.
Learner examples
- I felt a cold sensation in my hands.
- The soup gave me a burning sensation in my mouth.
- He had a strange sensation in his leg.
- She liked the warm sensation of the blanket.
Noun
B2
entity
2
Widespread public excitement or interest
Someone or something that makes many people excited and interested.
Usage pattern:
[something/someone] is a sensation
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'sensation' with 'sensational'. The latter is an adjective meaning 'amazing' or 'shocking', while 'sensation' is the noun form.
Synonyms
phenomenon (Something remarkable that attracts attention, often in a public context.)
Antonyms
non-event (Something expected to be exciting but turns out to have little impact.)
Collocations
media sensation
|overnight sensation
|cause a sensation
Themes
media
|entertainment
|communication
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The young singer became an overnight sensation after her first performance.
- The scandal was a political sensation that dominated the news for weeks.
- His invention created a sensation in the tech world.
Learner examples
- She was a singing sensation at age 16.
- The story was a big sensation in the city.
- He became a sports sensation after winning the race.
Noun
B2
state
3
Immediate awareness via senses/intuition
A quick feeling or idea you get about something from your senses or instinct.
Synonyms
impression (A general but not detailed sense of something perceived.)
Antonyms
unawareness (Lack of noticing or perceiving something.)
Collocations
general sensation
|vague sensation
Themes
psychology
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I had the sensation that someone was following me.
- She woke up with the strange sensation of having forgotten something important.
- There was a general sensation of unease in the room.
Learner examples
- I had the sensation that I was late.
- He had a strange sensation before opening the door.
- She felt the sensation that someone was watching her.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sensation
IPA
GB/sɛnsˈeɪʃən/
US/sɛnsˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
sen - sa - tion (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (sa)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sensation
- Plural: sensation, sensations
Word family
Forms
sensations
noun
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
sensitize
verb
desensitize
verb
sensationalism
noun
sensationalist
noun
sensationalize
verb
Expressions
cause a sensation
1/kˈɔz ə sɛnsˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Create widespread excitement or interest
To make many people excited and interested.
Examples
- The actor's new film caused a sensation at the festival.
- Her speech caused quite a sensation among the audience.
media sensation
1/mˈidiə sɛnsˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Person/thing with huge media attention
Someone or something that gets a lot of attention from newspapers, TV, and online news.
Examples
- The trial turned into a media sensation across the country.
- Their wedding became a media sensation.
overnight sensation
1/ˈoʊvɚnˈaɪt sɛnsˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
someone or something suddenly very popular
A person or thing that quickly becomes very popular and talked about.
Examples
- She became an overnight sensation after her first TV appearance.
- The young singer became an overnight sensation on social media.
- The app turned into an overnight sensation among teenagers.
- The new game was an overnight sensation with teenagers.
- They were shocked when their simple app turned into an overnight sensation.