a heightened sense — intensified feeling or awareness
collocationC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
a much stronger or more acute feeling, awareness, or perception than usual, often used to describe emotions, instincts, or senses that are more intense in a particular situation.
Say it like a native
Textbook After the burglary she had a much stronger feeling of being in danger.
Native After the burglary she had a heightened sense of danger.
'A heightened sense of X' is the set phrase; the paraphrase is long-winded.
Pattern: a heightened sense of + noun
In use
- After the accident, she developed a heightened sense of caution whenever she crossed the street.daily life
- In stressful situations, people often experience a heightened sense of awareness, which can help them react more quickly to danger.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He has a heightened sense for danger.
✓ He has a heightened sense of danger.
'A heightened sense OF' something, not 'for'.
Common collocations
a heightened sense of— of awareness, of danger, of urgency, of self
Don't confuse it
Unlike the basic use of 'sense' (e.g. 'a sense of smell'), 'a heightened sense' specifically means that the feeling or awareness is unusually strong or sharp, not just present.