unerring instinct
1
7.1
- noun
- /ʌˈnɜrɪŋ ˈɪnˌstɪŋkt/
:
instinto infalible
Examples
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You've got an unerring instinct for the jugular.
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She has an unerring instinct for finding the best schools for her children.
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His unerring instinct for identifying the right moment to speak made him a natural leader.
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With an unerring instinct for business, she turned her small shop into a thriving enterprise.
Synonyms
127
5.5
A quick feeling that something is true without thinking
38
6.6
The ability to notice and judge things clearly and wisely
2
9.6
The ability to notice and understand things quickly and clearly
1
6.6
Being quick to notice small details and other people's feelings
Skill at doing something without making mistakes
A quick ability to notice and understand things
Antonyms
How Accurate
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward adjective+noun combination where 'unerring' means unfailingly correct and 'instinct' means an innate sense, so the overall meaning 'an instinct that is consistently accurate' is directly derivable from the parts. This compositional pattern is literal and cross-linguistically common, so a learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Unerring instinct comes from the parts unerring ('not making mistakes') and instinct ('a natural feeling'). Imagine a hunting dog that follows a scent perfectly and never loses the trail, and that's why the phrase means 'an inner sense that is never wrong'.