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Glite Dictionary
sense of balance

sense of balance

4 3.4
The ability to keep your body steady so you do not fall
  • noun
  • /sɛns əv ˈbæl.əns/
translation icon : sentido del equilibrio
  • For the inexperienced cliff-top photographer, vertigo is a problem that seriously affects one's sense of balance and is often the cause of accidents.

Examples

  • The gymnast demonstrated incredible sense of balance while performing on the beam.

  • Has the captain lost his sense of balance?

    Baraka (1992)

  • And that is your ability and sense of balance of your own body.

  • You have to keep a sense of balance.

    A Hitman in London (2015)

  • My father was a man without much sense of balance or perspective, I guess you could say.

    Blog text (10)

  • Reflecting upon one's standing in many areas of life brings a sense of balance to an individual.

    Academic text (1997)

  • That means people who wobble because their sense of balance is not so good.

  • You will have to quickly use your sense of balance, your gut reaction to subject placement.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Here's the thing: I'm a ridiculous klutz with a poor sense of balance.

    Blog text (16)

  • My sense of balance (like everything else) was a little shaky, like having an inner ear infection.

    Fiction book (1998)

Synonyms

equilibrium
vssense of balance
  • Specialized
7 7.2

The sense of balance in the inner ear that tells you head position and movement

is the body's ability to maintain steady posture using that sensory input
vestibular sense
vssense of balance
  • Specialized
8.2

Parts of the inner ear that tell your body about balance and movement

is the body's capacity to stay upright using those internal signals
sense of equilibrium
vssense of balance
  • Specialized
6.0

Parts of the inner ear that tell you your head position and keep you balanced

is the physical ability to keep steady posture rather than the sensing system
labyrinthine sense
vssense of balance
  • Specialized
9.9

A sense that tells you where your head is and how it moves from the inner ear

is the body's power to hold steady posture not the sensing process

Antonyms

unstableness
7.0

A state in which things are not firm or steady

How Balanced

equilibrium
35 6.8
stability
363 3.1
sense of balance
4 3.4
unsteadiness
1 5.1
imbalance
86 4.2

Surface Forms

sense of balance singular
senses of balance plural

Morphology

sense + of + balance

The phrase combines 'sense' (a physical faculty) with 'balance' (a state of equilibrium), so the meaning 'ability to maintain bodily equilibrium' is directly compositional from the parts. The construction 'sense of + noun' is a common, cross-linguistic pattern (e.g., sense of smell, sense of direction), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Sense of balance comes from the body: tiny hairs in the inner ear give your brain a sense of which way is up so you keep your balance. That's why 'sense of balance' means the ability to stand or move without falling.