sense of direction
16
3.7
- noun
- /sɛns əv dɪˈrɛkʃən/
:
sentido de la orientación
- She has an excellent sense of direction, allowing her to navigate unfamiliar cities without a map.
- a clear sense of direction
Examples
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I have a really bad sense of direction.
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Many of us feel as though we are walking in a jungle with no clear sense of direction.
Academic text (1992) -
And when you have that clear sense of direction, then making decisions becomes easier.
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l always had a good sense of direction.
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I seem to have lost my sense of direction.
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Since your father died, you seem to have lost your sense of direction.
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Over the years, she'd developed an inner sense of direction that was highly accurate.
Fiction book (1999) -
I have a faultless sense of direction.
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Any wonder we've lost our sense of direction?
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The rushing of the wind confuses his sense of direction and fills him with dread.
Fiction book (1994)
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'sense' meaning an ability or faculty with 'direction' meaning heading or orientation, so the overall meaning 'ability to know where you are / find your way' is directly derivable from the parts. The 'sense of X' construction is a common, compositional pattern found across many languages, making this immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
The phrase sense of direction may come from the image of an inner sense that points toward the right direction, like a tiny compass inside a person. So, it now means the skill of knowing where you are and 'finding your way' without help.