with feeling
Showing emotion or expression
Use with feeling to describe emotional or expressive actions.
The actor delivered the line with feeling.
How to use prepositions with “feeling”
Feeling combines naturally with several prepositions depending on meaning. Some combinations are fixed expressions, while others depend on sentence structure.
Quick answer
“With feeling” is a fixed expression
Use with feeling to mean “with emotion or expression.” Of feeling appears in phrases such as a sense of feeling or depth of feeling. To feeling is uncommon as a fixed combination, though to can naturally come before feeling when feeling is a gerund.
She sang with feeling during the concert.
He showed a depth of feeling in his speech.
They are committed to feeling more confident at work.
He showed a depth of feeling in his speech.
They are committed to feeling more confident at work.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
of feeling
Describing intensity or type of emotion
Of feeling appears in larger noun phrases about emotion.
Her letter revealed a warmth of feeling.
feeling for + person/thing
Emotional attitude toward someone
Use feeling for to describe sympathy, affection, or opinion.
He still has strong feelings for his hometown.
to feeling + adjective
To before a gerund
To feeling is not a common fixed phrase, but it can appear when to belongs to a previous adjective or verb.
She is open to feeling uncomfortable at first.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
of feeling
There was a depth of feeling in the debate.
describes intensity or quality of emotion
to feeling
He is accustomed to feeling nervous before exams.
to belongs to the previous word and feeling is a gerund
with feeling
Please read the poem with feeling.
with emotion or expression
feelings for
She admitted her feelings for him.
emotional attachment toward someone
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Treating “to feeling” as a fixed expression
To feeling is only natural when to connects grammatically to an earlier word.
✕ She spoke to feeling. ✓ She spoke with feeling.Using “with feeling” for emotional attachment
Use feelings for when talking about affection toward a person.
✕ He has feeling with her. ✓ He has feelings for her.Forgetting the wider phrase with “of feeling”
Of feeling usually follows another noun.
✕ The speech was of feeling. ✓ The speech showed depth of feeling.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. The musician performed ___ .
2. The discussion revealed a depth ___ among the audience.
3. She is used ___ anxious before interviews.
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Frequently asked questions
Is “with feeling” a common expression?
Yes. It is a standard phrase meaning with emotion or expression.
Can “to feeling” be correct?
Yes, but only when to belongs to another structure such as “used to” or “open to.”
When do we use “of feeling”?
Usually in larger noun phrases such as “depth of feeling” or “warmth of feeling.”
Related preposition guides
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