Feeling vs. Opinion — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 13, 2024
Feelings are emotional states or reactions, often subjective and deeply personal, while opinions are beliefs or judgments about something, not necessarily based on emotion but also informed by thought and reasoning.
Difference Between Feeling and Opinion
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Feelings reflect personal emotional responses, such as happiness, anger, or sadness, inherently tied to one's experiences and state of mind, whereas opinions are formed through consideration and reflection, representing a stance or viewpoint on a particular topic.
While feelings are often involuntary and can arise without conscious deliberation, opinions are usually the result of cognitive processing and can be influenced by knowledge, logic, and personal or cultural values.
Feelings are typically expressed to convey emotion and can be communicated through words, facial expressions, or body language, on the other hand, opinions are often shared in discussions or debates to express a perspective or persuade others.
The subjective nature of feelings means they are not open to being right or wrong; they simply exist as part of the human emotional spectrum. Conversely, opinions can be argued against, supported by facts, or changed through reasoning or new information.
While feelings are universal and shared across human cultures, the content and expression of opinions can vary significantly, reflecting diverse cultural, social, and individual influences.
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Comparison Chart
Nature
Emotional response
Cognitive judgment
Origin
Involuntary, often spontaneous
Formed through thought and reflection
Expression
Through emotions, non-verbal cues
Through discussion, verbal communication
Subjectivity
Purely subjective
Subject to debate and validation
Impact
Reflects personal emotional state
Influences or reflects perspectives
Compare with Definitions
Feeling
A physical sensation experienced through touch or emotion.
She had a cold feeling in her toes in the winter air.
Opinion
A formal statement of advice by an expert.
The lawyer provided her opinion on the case.
Feeling
Intuitive understanding or impression.
She had a feeling that the interview went well.
Opinion
Can change with new arguments or evidence.
Her initial opinion changed after reading the scientific report.
Feeling
A capacity for emotion that differentiates emotional from rational responses.
His feelings were hurt by the offhand remark.
Opinion
A belief or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.
In his opinion, the movie was far too long.
Feeling
Feeling was originally used to describe the physical sensation of touch through either experience or perception. The word is also used to describe other experiences, such as "a feeling of warmth" and of sentience in general.
Opinion
An opinion is a judgement, viewpoint, or statement that is not conclusive, rather than facts, which are true statements.
Feeling
An emotional state or reaction
A feeling of joy
Opinion
A belief or conclusion held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof
"The world is not run by thought, nor by imagination, but by opinion" (Elizabeth Drew).
Feeling
An idea or belief, especially a vague or irrational one
He had the feeling that he was being watched
Opinion
A judgment based on special knowledge and given by an expert
A medical opinion.
Feeling
The capacity to experience the sense of touch
A loss of feeling in the hands
Opinion
A judgment or estimation of the merit of a person or thing
Has a low opinion of braggarts.
Feeling
A sensitivity to or intuitive understanding of
She says I have a feeling for medicine
Opinion
The prevailing view
Public opinion.
Feeling
Showing emotion or sensitivity
She was a feeling child
Opinion
A court's formal, usually written statement explaining its reasons for its decision in a case.
Feeling
The sense of touch
Lost feeling in a toe.
Opinion
An attorney's formal, usually written statement giving an assessment of how the law should be or is likely to be applied in a particular situation.
Feeling
A sensation experienced through this sense
Enjoyed the feeling of rain on my face.
Opinion
A piece of testimony that is not usually admissible when given by a layperson, as in contrast to an opinion given by an expert witness.
Feeling
A physical sensation other than one experienced though touch
A feeling of warmth.
Opinion
A belief, judgment or perspective that a person has formed, either through objective or subjective reasoning, about a topic, issue, person or thing.
I would like to know your opinions on the new filing system.
In my opinion, white chocolate is better than milk chocolate.
Every man is a fool in some man's opinion.
We invite you to state your opinions about the suggestions.
Feeling
An emotion, such as joy or sorrow
A feeling of loss.
Opinion
The judgment or sentiment which the mind forms of persons or things; estimation.
Feeling
Strong mental agitation or excitement involving the emotions
Eyes that showed deep feeling.
Opinion
(obsolete) Favorable estimation; hence, consideration; reputation; fame; public sentiment or esteem.
Feeling
An emotion of affection; a fondness
Does she have feelings for you?.
Opinion
(obsolete) Obstinacy in holding to one's belief or impression; opiniativeness; conceitedness.
Feeling
The capacity to experience refined emotions; sensitivity; sensibility
A man of feeling.
Opinion
The formal decision, or expression of views, of a judge, an umpire, a doctor, or other party officially called upon to consider and decide upon a matter or point submitted.
Feeling
Feelings Susceptibility to emotional response; sensibilities
The child's feelings are easily hurt.
Opinion
(European Union law) a judicial opinion delivered by an Advocate General to the European Court of Justice where he or she proposes a legal solution to the cases for which the court is responsible
Feeling
An awareness or impression
He had the feeling that he was being followed.
Opinion
To have or express as an opinion.
Feeling
An opinion based strongly on emotion; sentiment
Voters' feelings on tax reform.
Opinion
That which is opined; a notion or conviction founded on probable evidence; belief stronger than impression, less strong than positive knowledge; settled judgment in regard to any point of knowledge or action.
Opinion is when the assent of the understanding is so far gained by evidence of probability, that it rather inclines to one persuasion than to another, yet not without a mixture of incertainty or doubting.
I can not put off my opinion so easily.
Feeling
A general impression conveyed by a person, place, or thing
This office has the feeling of a fortress.
Opinion
The judgment or sentiment which the mind forms of persons or things; estimation.
I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people.
Friendship . . . gives a man a peculiar right and claim to the good opinion of his friend.
However, I have no opinion of those things.
Feeling
The emotions thought to be conveyed or intended by a work of art
The painting's feeling of anguish.
Opinion
Favorable estimation; hence, consideration; reputation; fame; public sentiment or esteem.
Thou hast redeemed thy lost opinion.
This gained Agricola much opinion, who . . . had made such early progress into laborious . . . enterprises.
Feeling
Appreciative regard or understanding
Has no feeling for propriety.
Opinion
Obstinacy in holding to one's belief or impression; opiniativeness; conceitedness.
Feeling
Intuitive awareness or aptitude; a feel
Has a feeling for language.
Opinion
The formal decision, or expression of views, of a judge, an umpire, a counselor, or other party officially called upon to consider and decide upon a matter or point submitted.
Feeling
Easily moved emotionally; sympathetic
A feeling heart.
Opinion
To opine.
Feeling
Expressive of sensibility or emotion
A feeling glance.
Opinion
A personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty;
My opinion differs from yours
What are your thoughts on Haiti?
Feeling
Emotionally sensitive.
Despite the rough voice, the coach is surprisingly feeling.
Opinion
A belief or sentiment shared by most people; the voice of the people;
He asked for a poll of public opinion
Feeling
Expressive of great sensibility; attended by, or evincing, sensibility.
He made a feeling representation of his wrongs.
Opinion
A message expressing a belief about something; the expression of a belief that is held with confidence but not substantiated by positive knowledge or proof;
His opinions appeared frequently on the editorial page
Feeling
Sensation, particularly through the skin.
The wool on my arm produced a strange feeling.
Opinion
The legal document stating the reasons for a judicial decision;
Opinions are usually written by a single judge
Feeling
Emotion; impression.
The house gave me a feeling of dread.
Opinion
The reason for a court's judgment (as opposed to the decision itself)
Feeling
Emotional state or well-being.
You really hurt my feelings when you said that.
Opinion
A vague idea in which some confidence is placed;
His impression of her was favorable
What are your feelings about the crisis?
It strengthened my belief in his sincerity
I had a feeling that she was lying
Feeling
Emotional attraction or desire.
Many people still have feelings for their first love.
Opinion
A detailed explanation of someone’s thinking.
She expressed her opinion about the policy changes in a detailed blog post.
Feeling
Intuition.
He has no feeling for what he can say to somebody in such a fragile emotional condition.
I've got a funny feeling that this isn't going to work.
Opinion
Reflective of personal or cultural values and perspectives.
His opinion on the matter reflects his strong ethical values.
Feeling
An opinion, an attitude.
Feeling
Present participle of feel
Feeling
Possessing great sensibility; easily affected or moved; as, a feeling heart.
Feeling
Expressive of great sensibility; attended by, or evincing, sensibility; as, he made a feeling representation of his wrongs.
Feeling
The sense by which the mind, through certain nerves of the body, perceives external objects, or certain states of the body itself; that one of the five senses which resides in the general nerves of sensation distributed over the body, especially in its surface; the sense of touch; nervous sensibility to external objects.
Why was the sightTo such a tender ball as the eye confined, . . . And not, as feeling, through all parts diffused?
Feeling
An act or state of perception by the sense above described; an act of apprehending any object whatever; an act or state of apprehending the state of the soul itself; consciousness.
The apprehension of the goodGives but the greater feeling to the worse.
Feeling
The capacity of the soul for emotional states; a high degree of susceptibility to emotions or states of the sensibility not dependent on the body; as, a man of feeling; a man destitute of feeling.
Feeling
Any state or condition of emotion; the exercise of the capacity for emotion; any mental state whatever; as, a right or a wrong feeling in the heart; our angry or kindly feelings; a feeling of pride or of humility.
A fellow feeling makes one wondrous kind.
Tenderness for the feelings of others.
Feeling
That quality of a work of art which embodies the mental emotion of the artist, and is calculated to affect similarly the spectator.
Feeling
The experiencing of affective and emotional states;
She had a feeling of euphoria
He had terrible feelings of guilt
I disliked him and the feeling was mutual
Feeling
A vague idea in which some confidence is placed;
His impression of her was favorable
What are your feelings about the crisis?
It strengthened my belief in his sincerity
I had a feeling that she was lying
Feeling
The general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people;
The feel of the city excited him
A clergyman improved the tone of the meeting
It had the smell of treason
Feeling
A physical sensation that you experience;
He had a queasy feeling
I had a strange feeling in my leg
He lost all feeling in his arm
Feeling
The sensation produced by pressure receptors in the skin;
She likes the touch of silk on her skin
The surface had a greasy feeling
Feeling
An intuitive understanding of something;
He had a great feeling for music
Feeling
An emotional state or reaction, such as joy or frustration.
He had a strong feeling of joy watching the sunrise.
Feeling
Often communicated non-verbally or through tone.
His feeling of disappointment was evident in his slumped shoulders.
Common Curiosities
How can feelings influence opinions?
Feelings can color how we view certain situations, thus influencing our opinions by affecting our judgment.
Can an opinion exist without feelings?
While opinions can be formed based on objective reasoning, they often include some level of emotional influence.
Why is it important to distinguish between feelings and opinions?
Understanding the difference helps in communication, ensuring clarity in what is being discussed—emotional states vs. reasoned beliefs.
Can feelings be wrong?
Feelings are neither right nor wrong; they are subjective experiences. However, the actions based on feelings can be subject to moral or social judgment.
How should one handle situations where feelings and opinions conflict?
Recognizing each aspect’s role and addressing both thoughtfully can help in resolving conflicts and understanding differing viewpoints.
What is the role of evidence in forming opinions?
Evidence plays a crucial role in substantiating opinions, making them more than mere conjecture and grounding them in reality.
What are some methods to change someone's opinion?
Providing new information, offering alternative perspectives, and engaging in open, respectful dialogue can influence opinions.
Are opinions important in professional settings?
Yes, well-formed opinions can contribute to decision-making, strategy, and leadership in professional environments.
How do cultural differences impact opinions?
Cultural backgrounds can greatly influence what individuals believe, shaping opinions through societal norms and values.
How can one differentiate between feeling and opinion in conversation?
Listening for cues whether the speaker is discussing emotional states or making judgments about topics—can help differentiate them.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
