insight
Grasp beneath surfaces
Insight is understanding that penetrates beneath the surface—seeing into the nature of something.
An insight is a specific instance of such understanding: Her insight about the company's culture proved accurate.
To gain insight is to reach deeper comprehension: The interview gave me insight into how he thinks.
Someone with insight perceives what others miss.
Mental understanding of meaning
- graspSeize or understand
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
- knowledgeUnderstood facts and skills
- discernmentKeen perception and judgment
perception · apprehension · cognition · interpretation · perspective · recognition · clarity · acumen
Sudden profound insight
- revelationSurprising disclosed truth
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- ahaExclamation of realization
- eurekaDiscovery triumph cry
flash · lightbulb · realization · awakening · discovery · illumination · eye-opener · brainwave
Insight into one's psyche
- introspectionObserving one's own mind
- reflectionReturned light or thought
- self-knowledgeUnderstanding of oneself
- mindfulnessAwareness of the present
consciousness · therapy · breakthrough · realization · understanding · empathy · self-discovery · awareness
Methodical assessment or review
- investigationFormal examination of facts
- inquiryRequest for information
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- evaluationDetermining worth or quality
scrutiny · review · probe · breakdown · interpretation · observation · study · research
Unproven inner sense
- gutDigestive tract, or instinct
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- premonitionAdvance sense of future events
- feelingSensed inner state
inkling · sense · impression · subconscious · perceptiveness · sensitivity · intuitiveness · divination
comprehension
Mental understanding of meaning
discernment · perception · apprehension · cognition · interpretation · perspective · recognition · clarity · acumen · depth
epiphany
Sudden profound insight
- revelationSurprising disclosed truth
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- ahaExclamation of realization
eureka · flash · lightbulb · realization · awakening · discovery · illumination · eye-opener · brainwave · moment
self-awareness
Insight into one's psyche
- introspectionObserving one's own mind
- reflectionReturned light or thought
- self-knowledgeUnderstanding of oneself
mindfulness · consciousness · therapy · breakthrough · realization · understanding · empathy · self-discovery · awareness · perception
examination
Methodical assessment or review
- investigationFormal examination of facts
- inquiryRequest for information
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
evaluation · scrutiny · review · probe · breakdown · interpretation · observation · study · research · diagnosis
hunch
Unproven inner sense
- gutDigestive tract, or instinct
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- premonitionAdvance sense of future events
feeling · inkling · sense · impression · subconscious · perceptiveness · sensitivity · intuitiveness · divination · foreboding
- awarenessalertness, aware, attention, cognizance, conscious
- explanationswhy, how come, explication, what happened, definition
- inner qualitiesintegrity, wisdom, courage, compassion, resilience
- introspectionself-examination, self-reflection, self-awareness, self-analysis, introspection
- mental conceptsthought, thinking, ideas, concepts, memory
- Mental facultieswisdom, judgment, understanding, discernment, intellect
insightignorance
Absence of knowledge
obliviousness · superficiality · shallowness · incomprehension · misunderstanding
insightobtuseness
Slowness to understand
stupidity · dullness · denseness · thick-headedness · foolishness
insightblindness
Absence of vision
blind spot · obliviousness · unseeing · myopia · short-sightedness
- flash of insightSudden understanding or realization
- personal insightsUnderstanding about oneself
- psychological insightUnderstanding of mental processes
- spiritual insightTranscendent understanding of sacred truths
- divine insightUnderstanding from a deity
- mystical insightSupernatural spiritual understanding