feel benign

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "feel benign" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a sense of harmlessness or kindness in a situation or towards someone. Example: "Despite the challenges ahead, I feel benign about our chances of success."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Things About Which I Feel Benign: Emla cream.

The Guardian - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

By contrast, if they felt benign envy they worked harder.

The New Yorker

While the students who felt benign envy pledged to study more than they had in prior semesters, those who felt admiration didn't.

The New Yorker

Historically, he said, sections like Potrero Hill have felt "benign neglect," suspecting that services were geared to the Castro, where more H.I.V.-infected people in the city live.

The New York Times - Health

First, he worked with Dutch students, who have two words for envy, to gather baseline descriptions of how they felt benign envy, malicious envy, admiration, and resentment.

The New Yorker

In another study, van de Ven found that students who felt benign envy, but not malicious envy or admiration, performed better on a test of creativity, the remote associates task: they were able to provide, on average, 11.4 correct answers, as compared to 9.8 when they felt admiration, and 8.5 when they felt malicious envy.

The New Yorker

If the students had been primed by the first reading-comprehension exercise, they felt benign envy toward Hans (essentially, "I could do that, too, if I tried"); if they'd been primed by the second exercise, they felt slightly more admiration (something like, "I shouldn't even try; I'll just admire him from afar").

The New Yorker

During my fellowship in critical care, the once-familiar bugs P. vivax, Entamoeba histolytica, and even Salmonella almost felt benign when compared to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, and multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria that lurk in shiny hospitals in the United States.

Emerging Infectious Diseases

Yet with opulence at its all-time uncoolest right now, the Christmas mansion tour doesn't feel as benign as it once did.

The New York Times - Travel

Users first revolted when the site introduced the newsfeed — yet now it feels rather benign in terms of its challenge to our sense of privacy, as well as being the main reason for visiting the site.

The Guardian - Tech

Despite the extreme levels of inequality and liberty hinted at by the a vast majority of the work, But a Storm Is Blowing from Paradise feels peculiarly benign.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "feel benign" to convey a sense of harmlessness or mildness, especially when describing emotions, situations, or impacts that are not severe or threatening. This phrase often implies a gentle or favorable disposition.

Common error

Avoid using "feel benign" when you actually mean something is insignificant or unimportant. While "benign" suggests harmlessness, it doesn't necessarily mean something lacks significance. Use more appropriate terms like "minor" or "negligible" if insignificance is the intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "feel benign" functions as a verb phrase followed by an adjective, describing a state of experiencing something as harmless or gentle. Ludwig AI indicates that the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

25%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "feel benign" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression that conveys a sense of harmlessness, mildness, or gentleness towards something. As Ludwig AI confirms, it’s appropriate for various contexts, particularly in news and media, with occasional usage in scientific discussions. While interchangeable with alternatives like "sense harmlessness" or "perceive gentleness", it's important to ensure the specific context aligns with the intended meaning of harmlessness rather than mere insignificance. When writing with "feel benign", consider the specific emotions or situations you aim to describe, ensuring the phrase appropriately reflects a gentle and non-threatening disposition.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

experience benevolence

Replaces "feel" with "experience" and "benign" with "benevolence", focusing on the experienced state.

sense harmlessness

Uses "sense" instead of "feel", and focuses on the harmless aspect of "benign".

perceive gentleness

Emphasizes the gentle aspect of something that feels "benign".

have a benign sensation

Shifts from feeling to having a sensation that is "benign".

feel a gentle touch

More specific, implying a physical sense of gentleness.

feel mild

Simpler alternative, indicating a lack of severity.

feel favorable

Shifts the meaning towards a positive or supportive sentiment.

feel sympathetic

Indicates feeling compassion or understanding.

feel kindly

Emphasizes the feeling of kindness.

feel relieved

Suggests a feeling of comfort after anxiety.

FAQs

How can I use "feel benign" in a sentence?

You can use "feel benign" to describe a sense of harmlessness or mildness. For example, "Despite the challenges, I "feel benign" about our chances of success." This indicates a gentle or favorable outlook.

What's a good alternative to "feel benign"?

Alternatives to "feel benign" include phrases like "sense harmlessness" or "perceive gentleness", depending on the context. These alternatives offer similar but slightly different nuances.

Is it correct to say "seem benign" instead of "feel benign"?

Yes, "seem benign" is a valid alternative. While "feel benign" describes an internal sensation, "seem benign" describes an outward appearance or impression of harmlessness.

What is the difference between "feel benign" and "feel favorable"?

"Feel benign" implies a sense of harmlessness or mildness, while "feel favorable" suggests a positive or supportive sentiment. The first relates to a lack of threat, and the second relates to positive regard.