gut reaction

gut reaction

A reaction to a situation based on a person's instinct and feelings, rather than on a logical analysis. My initial gut reaction was that the merger would result in a drop in stock prices, but the opposite turned out to be true.
See also: gut, reaction
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

a gut reaction

COMMON A gut reaction is a reaction that you have immediately and strongly, without thinking about something or being aware of your reasons. At first my gut reaction was to never write again. My heart's loyal to the party but my gut reaction is to vote against the bill.
1. If you describe a task or activity as gut-busting, you mean it is very hard work. It would be hard work, he predicted — back-breaking, gut-busting, unbelievably hard work.
2. You can use gut-busting to describe a very large amount of food. Walker set a record by eating a gut-busting 32 pies.
See also: gut, reaction
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

gut reaction

verb
See gut reaction to something
See also: gut, reaction
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • a gut reaction
  • gut reaction to (something)
  • gut reaction to something
  • knee-jerk reaction
  • my face when
  • my reaction when
  • MRW
  • reckon upon (someone or something)
  • domino
  • domino effect
References in periodicals archive
Of course, my first gut reaction is "Are you kidding?" Shall we take a walk down memory lane to the Walnut Street Jail?
When high school seniors decide among the colleges and universities that have accepted them, many, like Sasha, let their gut reaction cast the final ballot.
Although this might be an effort to attract a wider audience to an essentially scientific work, it does become a little grating to continually digest the likes of: Food safety: what's your gut reaction? and Going nuts: the Brazil nut gene story.
The session began with a discussion of how journalists can "be trapped very easily if we only go from our gut reaction," as Bob Steele, another co-author of the book, pt it.
COACH: As you look at pitching in general, what kind of gut reaction do you have?
"My gut reaction is let's get excited and mobilize some troops and take our fight to the public," he told the Charleston Post and Courier.
Research Director Daniel Amundson says, "My gut reaction is that the percentage of negative portrayals is down.
Five years ago, when the industry was importing 30 percent of its wood, the Central Association of Forest Industries, a trade group, blamed its woes on the ignorance of many of the country's 300,000 small woodlot owners, who were refusing to cut their wood out of "their gut reaction .
We must restrain from gut reaction and gather informed intelligence before striking.
The gut reaction of some may well be to call for uniforms to be withdrawn and allow children to extra wear what they want.
A gut reaction by some people would be to blame the parents for a lack of guidance, but it is a far more complex problem than that and some teenagers can be exceptionally difficult - some would even say impossible - to control.
QWHEN my boyfriend first suggested we go on holiday together, my gut reaction was that I didn't want to.
My gut reaction watching the Will Haining penalty at full speed was he didn't foul Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink but we've all thought that and been proved wrong in slow motion at some time or another.
My gut reaction was that their second 'goal' was onside, but it's about time we had a bit of luck.
That's why I won't be having a bet on Celtic or Rangers but I'll trust in the gut reaction that tells me they're both good enough to progress.