Dictionary

visceral en · ADJ

Pronunciation

[ˈvəsɹɫ̩] (New-Zealand)
/ˈvɪsɹəl/ (Australia, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
[ˈvɪsəɹɫ̩] (Australia, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈvəsəɹəl/ (New-Zealand)
[ˈvəsəɹɫ̩] (New-Zealand)
[ˈvɪsɹɫ̩] (Australia, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈvɪsəɹəl/ (Australia, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈvəsɹəl/ (New-Zealand)
(Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle French viscéral (modern French viscéral), or from its etymon Medieval Latin viscerālis (“internal”) + English -al (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Viscerālis is derived from Latin viscera (a plural form of vīscus (“internal organ of the body”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *weys- (“to rotate, turn”)) + -ālis (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). cognates * Old French visceral (Middle French viscéral, modern French viscéral) * Italian viscerale * Spanish visceral

Meanings

Of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera (“internal organs of the body, especially those contained within the abdominal and thoracic cavities”).
- Abdominal fat accumulation, known as visceral fat, has "long been recognized as metabolically harmful," according to Philip Rabito, M.D., a specialist in endocrinology, weight loss and wellness in New York City. 2026 January 6, Angelica Stable, “More Americans may be classified as obese under new definition, study suggests”, in Fox News, archived from the original on 17 Jan 2026:
- Some areolar tissue free from elastic tissue was next procured from the visceral cavity of a toad, and moderately sized, as well as very small, bits were placed on five leaves. 1875 July 2, Charles Darwin, “The Digestive Power of the Secretion of Drosera”, in Insectivorous Plants, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 102:
- [W]hat sign / Of visceral lightness, coloured to a shade, / May charm the genial gods, and what fair spots / Commend the lung and liver. 1850, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Prometheus Bound. From the Greek of Æschylus.”, in Poems. […], new edition, volume I, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 161:
- I can focus the X-rays first on the screen by means of a special quartz objective which I have devised. Then I take the pictures. Here, you see, are the lungs in slow or rapid respiration. There is the rhythmically beating heart, distinctly pulsating in perfect outline. There is the liver, moving up and down with the diaphragm, the intestines, and the stomach. You can see the bones moving with the limbs, as well as the inner visceral life. All that is hidden to the eye by the flesh is now made visible in striking manner. 1913 August, Arthur B[enjamin] Reeve, “The X-Ray ‘Movies’”, in The Dream Doctor (The Craig Kennedy Series), New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers, published 1914, →OCLC, pages 340–341:
- The superficial fascia surrounds the body and includes subcutaneous fat; the deep fascia surrounds the musculoskeletal system; the meningeal fascia surrounds the nervous system; the visceral fascia surrounds body cavities and organs. 2018 November 8, Dr. Melina Jampolis, “The real science behind fascia ailments”, in CNN, archived from the original on 26 Apr 2023:
- visceral remains
Of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera (“internal organs of the body, especially those contained within the abdominal and thoracic cavities”). ▸ Of a disease: involving the viscera.
Of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera (“internal organs of the body, especially those contained within the abdominal and thoracic cavities”). ▸ Of or relating to the viscera or bowels regarded as the origin of a person's emotions; hence (figuratively), relating to or having deep internal feelings or sensibility.
- […] Christ sends Paracletum, in a more entire, and a more internal, and more visceral sense, a Comforter. 1627 May 23 (date delivered; Gregorian calendar), John Donne, “Sermon XXVI. Preached at St. Paul’s, upon Whitsunday, 1627.”, in Henry Alford, editor, The Works of John Donne, D.D., […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 532:
- Love is of all other the inmoſt and moſt viſcerall affection. And therefore called by the Apoſtle, Bovvels of Love. And vve read of the yearning of Ioſephs bovvels over Benjamin his mothers ſonne, […] 1640, Edward Reynolds, “Of the Effects of Love, Union to the Object, Stay and Immoration of the Mind upon It, Rest in It, Zeale, Strength, and Tendernesse towards It, Condescention unto It, Liquefaction and Languishing for It”, in A Treatise of the Passions and Faculties of the Soule of Man. […], London: […] R[ichard] H[earne and John Norton] for Robert Bostock, […], →OCLC, page 109:
- At its visceral core, grief is a stress response. So scientists have explained, and other experts have charted the emotional journey. 2011 February 17, Ann Hulbert, “Joyce Carol Oates’s Widow’s Lament [book review]”, in The New York Times Book Review, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 08 Apr 2023:
(figuratively) Having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect, as in the distinction between feeling and thinking.
- Our meditation of his [Jesus's] death should be more viſeral, and affect us more, becauſe it is of a thing already done. a. 1631 (date written), John Donne, “The 26 Sermon. Psa[lm] 68. 20.”, in XXVI. Sermons (Never before Publish’d) Preached by that Learned and Reverend Divine John Donne, […] The Third Volume, London: […] Thomas Newcomb, […], published 1661, →OCLC, page 409:
- At tech companies that spent recent years expanding paid parental leave, parents have felt the whiplash of mass layoffs in an especially visceral way. 2023 April 11, Kurtis Lee, “California Economy Is on Edge After Tech Layoffs and Studio Cutbacks”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 19 Apr 2023:
- [T]he discretion of an aristocrat is in his head, a tactical detail, it has nothing to do with this visceral sinking, this ebb in the nerves. 1915 September, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “The Prelude: On Fear and Aristocracy”, in The Research Magnificent, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, § 4, page 16:
- Television and other "electric media" are oral-auditory, tactile, visceral, and involve the individual almost without volition. As a result [Marshall] McLuhan believes that the world is rapidly becoming a "global village," in which mankind communicates in a supermodern version of the way tribal societies were once related. 1964 July 3, “Books: Blowing Hot & Cold: Understanding Media by Marshall McLuhan. 359 pages. McGraw-Hill. $7.50. [book review]”, in Roy Alexander, editor, TIME, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., archived from the original on 19 Jun 2011:
(figuratively, obsolete) (Apparently) situated in the viscera or the interior of the body.
- [T]here is none good but God; there is centrical, visceral, gremial gold, goodness in the root, in the tree of goodness, God. 1624 March 14 (date delivered; Gregorian calendar), John Donne, “Sermon XIV. Preached at Whitehall, March 4, 1624.”, in Henry Alford, editor, The Works of John Donne, D.D., […], volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 283:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
most visceral	Degree=Sup		lexicographic
more visceral	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic

Antonyms

intellectual · parietal · parietal · parietal · cerebral

Deriveds

Hyponyms

instinctive · carnal · intuitive · instinctual

innate · visceromegaly · eviscerate · viscerosensitive · visceration · evisceration · gut feeling · viscerotonic · viscerosensory · gut reaction · second nature · viscero- · viscerate · viscerotome · bodily · visceroception · viscera · visceroptosis

Synonyms

splanchnic · splanchnic · visceral · splanchnic

Translations (37)

mk у́тробен (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · gl visceral (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · fi vaistonvarainen (having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect) · gl visceral (having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect) · de zu den Eingeweiden gehörig (having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect) · de viszeral (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · cs niterný (of or relating to the viscera or bowels regarded as the origin of a person’s emotions; relating to or having deep internal feelings or sensibility) · ru внутренностный (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · de aus dem Bauch heraus (having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect) · fr viscéral (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · fi viskeraalinen (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · pl trzewny (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · pl trzewiowy (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · de tief sitzend (having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect) · tr viseral (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · es visceral (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · es visceral (having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect) · fi syvällinen (of or relating to the viscera or bowels regarded as the origin of a person’s emotions; relating to or having deep internal feelings or sensibility) · hu zsigeri (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · fi sisälmys- (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · cs vnitřní (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · fi vaistomainen (having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect) · cs útrobní (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · fi sisäelin- (of a disease: involving the viscera) · ru висцеральный (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · mk на́гонски (having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect) · cs vnitřní (of or relating to the viscera or bowels regarded as the origin of a person’s emotions; relating to or having deep internal feelings or sensibility) · fi sisäelin- (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · nl instinctief (having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect) · de intuitiv (having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect) · nl diepgeworteld (having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect) · de instinktiv (having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect) · fr viscéral (having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect) · io vicerala (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · nl visceraal (of or relating to, made up of, or positioned among or within, the viscera) · cs útrobní (of a disease: involving the viscera) · cs vnitřní (of a disease: involving the viscera)