Meanings
noungut reaction (plural gut reactions)
plural gut reactions
- idiomaticA visceral reaction that arises with little accompanying thought or even (sometimes) no thought.
Near-synonym: knee-jerk reaction
1 more example
When he saw that lion leaping towards him, his gut reaction was to run.
Synonyms: knee-jerk reaction
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA visceral reaction that arises with little accompanying thought or even (sometimes) no thought.
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Also see
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 本能反應 /本能反应
- 本能反應 /本能反应 (běnnéng fǎnyìng)instantaneous reaction
Finnish selkäydinreaktio
- selkäydinreaktioinstantaneous reaction
German Reaktion aus dem Bauch, Reaktion aus dem Bauch heraus
- Reaktion aus dem Bauchinstantaneous reaction
- Reaktion aus dem Bauch herausinstantaneous reaction
- Bauchentscheidunginstantaneous reaction
- instinktive Reaktioninstantaneous reaction
Cite this entry
APA
gut reaction. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gut%20reaction
MLA
“gut reaction.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gut%20reaction. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gut reaction,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gut%20reaction.
Source: gut reaction on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.