Verbs of the Senses: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste and Touch

Verbs of the senses help us describe how we see, hear, smell, taste and feel the world around us. They are particularly useful in everyday conversation, descriptive writing and storytelling. In this lesson, you will learn 45 useful verbs of the senses, with clear meanings and natural example sentences.

Table of Contents

👁️ Sight: Verbs for Seeing

Verb	Meaning	Example sentence
See	To perceive something with your eyes.	I can see the mountains from my window.
Look	To turn your eyes towards something deliberately.	Look at that sunset—it’s beautiful.
Watch	To look at something attentively, especially when it is moving or changing.	I like to watch football matches on television.
Observe	To watch something carefully, often for a particular purpose.	The scientist observed the animals in their natural habitat.
Notice	To become aware of something, often without deliberately looking for it.	She noticed a small crack in the wall.
Glimpse	To see something briefly or only for a moment.	I glimpsed a shooting star last night.
View	To look at or examine something, often carefully or formally.	We viewed the exhibition at the gallery.

👂 Hearing: Verbs for Listening and Hearing

Verb	Meaning	Example sentence
Hear	To perceive a sound through your ears.	I can hear birds singing outside.
Listen	To pay attention to sounds or speech.	Please listen carefully to the instructions.
Overhear	To hear a conversation unintentionally.	I overheard their conversation on the bus.
Eavesdrop	To listen secretly to a private conversation.	He was caught eavesdropping on their discussion.
Detect	To notice or identify a sound, especially one that is faint or difficult to recognise.	She detected a strange noise in the engine.
Perceive	To become aware of something through one of the senses.	He perceived a faint sound coming from the attic.
Attend to	To listen carefully and give something your full attention.	The students attended closely to the teacher’s explanation.
Monitor	To listen to or check sounds regularly over a period of time.	The technician monitored the audio levels during the recording.

👃 Smell: Verbs for Odours and Scents

Verb or expression	Meaning	Example sentence
Smell	To perceive an odour through your nose.	I can smell fresh bread from the bakery.
Sniff	To breathe in through your nose in order to detect a smell.	He sniffed the milk to see whether it was still fresh.
Catch a whiff of	To notice a brief or faint smell.	She caught a whiff of perfume as someone passed by.
Inhale	To breathe air, smoke or a scent into your lungs.	He inhaled the scent of freshly brewed coffee.
Scent	To detect a smell, especially when referring to animals.	The dog scented its owner from far away.
Sniffle	To breathe in repeatedly through your nose, usually because you have a cold or have been crying.	She sniffled quietly during the sad film.
Nose around	To search or investigate an area curiously.	The dog nosed around the garden looking for treats.

👅 Taste: Verbs for Food and Drink

Verb	Meaning	Example sentence
Taste	To perceive or recognise the flavour of something.	This soup tastes delicious.
Savour	To enjoy a flavour slowly and fully.	She savoured every bite of the dessert.
Sample	To try a small amount of food or drink.	He sampled the cheese before buying it.
Nibble	To eat something by taking very small bites.	She nibbled on a biscuit.
Chew	To break food into smaller pieces with your teeth.	Remember to chew your food properly.
Devour	To eat something quickly and eagerly.	He devoured the meal after a long day.
Swallow	To move food or drink from your mouth to your stomach.	She swallowed the pill with some water.
Sip	To drink a small amount at a time.	He sipped his tea while reading.

✋ Touch: Verbs for Physical Contact

Verb	Meaning	Example sentence
Touch	To put your hand or another part of your body in contact with something.	Don’t touch the hot surface.
Feel	To experience a physical sensation through contact.	I felt the warmth of the sun on my skin.
Grip	To hold something firmly.	He gripped the handle tightly.
Stroke	To move your hand gently over a person, animal or surface.	She stroked the dog’s head.
Tap	To touch something lightly and briefly.	He tapped her on the shoulder.
Press	To push something firmly or apply pressure to it.	Press the button to start the machine.
Pat	To touch someone or something gently, usually several times with a flat hand.	She patted the child on the back.
Caress	To touch someone gently and affectionately.	She caressed the baby’s cheek.
Pinch	To squeeze something between your fingers and thumb.	He pinched his arm to check that he wasn’t dreaming.
Rub	To move your hand backwards and forwards over a surface.	She rubbed her hands together to keep warm.

Verbs of the senses allow you to describe experiences vividly and naturally, making your English more expressive and precise. They are especially useful in descriptions, stories, opinions, and exam writing, where detail and clarity really matter.

Try learning them in context, and practise using a few at a time in your speaking or writing.

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5 Comments

Marusya · 18 Jan 2025 at 8:45 pm

Lovely thank you ! If you can put more vocabulary for OET exam I will appreciate it.

My Lingua Academy · 18 Jan 2025 at 8:57 pm

Thank you! I’ll see what I can do. 🙂

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