a good hunch

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a good hunch" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when expressing a strong intuition or feeling about something, often without concrete evidence. Example: "I have a good hunch that the project will be successful based on the team's dedication."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

It was a good hunch.

The New York Times - Books

It was a good hunch, as it turned out.

The New York Times

"I have a good hunch that we will get this into the initial phases of clinical trials within the next two to three years," she says.

The Guardian

After nine years he had 400 staff working underneath him – he'd had a good hunch about these new telephone guys, and got in working for a company called Bell – so he was finally able to send for her and her entire extended family.

Vice

If you like the environment, and have a good hunch, then it's probably a good school.

WikiHow

These were done by the analytical method described above in Step 9, though it's a good hunch the problem will only yield to greater finesse than the lazy mathematician possesses.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

He had a pretty good hunch that it could have been by the master himself.

The New York Times - Arts

"We had a really good hunch that in order to understand what was going on in cyberspace we needed to collect two completely different sets of data," Mr. Rohozinski said.

The New York Times - Science

Because I have a pretty good hunch what the Peanut family is up to, and it makes me long for the day when the top hat was king.

Huffington Post

Most of us think of innovation as something that happens suddenly and unexpectedly the prophetic "Eureka!" moment but writer and researcher Steven Johnson has studied this process thoroughly and believes it happens through slow incubation of a really good hunch.

Vice

But the predictions made about tattoo artists growing their followings via Instagram, fake clickbait meant to humor, professional gaming's emergence into the mainstream, augmented reality, and professional art copiers were based on careful observation and a few good hunches.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a good hunch" when you want to convey a sense of intuition or feeling that something might be true or happen, even without concrete proof. It's appropriate in contexts where personal judgment is valued.

Common error

Don't base critical decisions solely on "a good hunch". Always try to gather supporting evidence or data to validate your intuition before committing to a course of action.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a good hunch" functions as a noun phrase, where 'good' modifies 'hunch', indicating a positive and potentially reliable intuition. As seen in Ludwig AI, it expresses a feeling or belief that something is likely to be true.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a good hunch" is a common and acceptable way to express an intuitive feeling or prediction. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and provides numerous examples from diverse sources like The New York Times and The Guardian. While it's generally considered neutral in register, it's important to balance such intuitions with evidence and sound judgment, avoiding over-reliance on gut feelings. Alternatives like "strong intuition" or "informed guess" can be used in more formal contexts. This phrase is most frequently found in News & Media, Wiki and Science.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a strong intuition

Highlights the instinctive understanding without conscious reasoning.

a strong feeling

Focuses on the emotional aspect, emphasizing the intensity of the feeling rather than the predictive aspect.

a reliable gut feeling

Emphasizes the trustworthiness and dependability of the feeling.

a promising premonition

Suggests that the hunch points to a positive future event.

a keen insight

Highlights the depth and perceptiveness of the understanding.

a solid presentiment

Indicates a feeling that something is about to happen, usually something significant.

a shrewd suspicion

Implies a clever and insightful understanding of a situation.

a fortunate guess

Focuses on the element of chance and luck in the prediction.

an informed guess

Suggests the guess is based on some level of knowledge or information.

a reasoned anticipation

Focuses on logic and inference in predicting an outcome.

FAQs

How can I use "a good hunch" in a sentence?

You can use "a good hunch" to express an intuitive feeling or prediction. For example, "I have "a good hunch" that the new marketing strategy will be successful."

What's a more formal alternative to "a good hunch"?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "strong intuition", "informed judgment", or "considered assessment" instead of "a good hunch".

Is "a good hunch" the same as a guess?

While both involve predicting an outcome, "a good hunch" implies a stronger, more intuitive feeling based on experience or understanding, whereas a guess is often more random or speculative. It is very related to "a good guess".

When is it appropriate to act on "a good hunch"?

Acting on "a good hunch" can be appropriate when quick decisions are needed and information is limited. However, it's best to balance intuition with available data and sound judgment whenever possible.