11+ words for feelings and emotions
Words for how someone feels, from jubilant and exhilarated to despondent and distraught. Many of them sit on a scale: irate is angrier than annoyed, and wretched is a long way past sad. Knowing how strong a word is matters as much as knowing what it means.
There are 148 words here: 70 describing words, 44 doing words and 34 naming words. Each has its meaning, an example sentence and similar words. Tap a word for its opposites and a practice question.
Describing words (adjectives)70
- affectionate
- Showing love and fondness in a warm, caring way.
- The affectionate puppy licked everyone's hands and snuggled up on the sofa.
- Similar: loving, fond, caring
- aghast
- Filled with shock and horror.
- Mum stood aghast at the kitchen door, staring at the flour explosion all over the walls.
- Similar: shocked, horrified, stunned
- agitated
- Upset and unable to keep still or calm.
- The agitated dog paced up and down by the gate, whining for its owner to come home.
- Similar: upset, nervous, restless
- animated
- Full of life, energy and excitement.
- The playground grew animated as everyone rushed out shouting about the snow.
- Similar: lively, excited, bouncy
- anxious
- Worried and nervous about what might happen.
- Sam felt anxious the night before his spelling test and could not sleep.
- Similar: worried, nervous, uneasy
- apprehensive
- A little scared and worried about something that is coming.
- Maya was apprehensive about her first day at the new school, twisting her bag strap all morning.
- Similar: worried, nervous, fearful
- ardent
- Full of strong, keen feeling about something.
- An ardent fan of the team, Leo never missed a single match, rain or shine.
- Similar: keen, eager, devoted
- bemused
- Puzzled and unsure about what is going on.
- The tourist looked bemused as his map blew away in the wind.
- Similar: puzzled, confused, baffled
- blissful
- Completely and perfectly happy.
- She spent a blissful afternoon reading in the hammock with a bowl of strawberries.
- Similar: happy, joyful, delighted
- composed
- Calm and in control of your feelings.
- Even when the lights failed mid-performance, Priya stayed composed and kept singing.
- Similar: calm, steady, cool
- content
- Happy and satisfied with what you have.
- After a big bowl of porridge, the baby was content and fell fast asleep.
- Similar: satisfied, pleased, happy
- crestfallen
- Sad and disappointed after something has gone wrong.
- Jack was crestfallen when sports day was cancelled just as he laced up his trainers.
- Similar: sad, disappointed, glum
- daunting
- So difficult or scary that it makes you unsure you can manage it.
- Climbing the enormous rock wall looked daunting, and Priya wondered if she could ever reach the top.
- Similar: scary, frightening, hard
- dejected
- Feeling sad and without hope.
- Sam trudged home dejected, head down and shoulders slumped, after his team lost the final.
- Similar: sad, gloomy, down
- despondent
- Very sad and without any hope.
- After losing the final, the team trudged off the pitch despondent, their heads hanging low.
- Similar: sad, miserable, down
- distraught
- So upset and worried that you can hardly think.
- The distraught boy searched every room for his lost puppy, tears rolling down his cheeks.
- Similar: upset, worried, desperate
- downcast
- Sad and low, often looking at the ground.
- Ella was downcast after the picnic was cancelled, staring at her shoes all afternoon.
- Similar: sad, gloomy, low
- dumbfounded
- So amazed that you cannot speak.
- The magician pulled a rabbit from the empty hat, leaving the whole class dumbfounded.
- Similar: amazed, stunned, speechless
- eager
- Very keen and excited to do something.
- The eager puppy bounced at the door, desperate for its morning walk.
- Similar: keen, excited, enthusiastic
- ecstatic
- So happy that you can hardly contain it.
- Nina was ecstatic when she opened the envelope and found she had won first prize!
- Similar: thrilled, overjoyed, delighted
- elated
- Extremely happy and excited.
- Elated by the news of the snow day, the children cheered and raced for their sledges.
- Similar: joyful, thrilled, delighted
- envious
- Wishing you had what someone else has.
- Ben felt envious of his friend's shiny new bike as he pedalled his own rusty one.
- Similar: jealous
- exhausted
- So tired that you have no energy left.
- After the mountain hike, the exhausted walkers collapsed onto the grass and could not move.
- Similar: tired, weary, drained
- exhilarated
- Feeling thrilled, happy and full of energy.
- The riders stepped off the rollercoaster exhilarated, cheeks glowing and hearts racing.
- Similar: thrilled, excited, delighted
- exuberant
- Bursting with energy, excitement and happiness.
- The exuberant fans sang, danced and hugged strangers when the winning goal went in.
- Similar: lively, bubbly, joyful
- famished
- Very hungry after going without food for a long time.
- After missing lunch, Ruby was so famished she could have eaten the whole loaf by herself.
- Similar: starving, hungry, empty
- fervent
- Showing very strong and sincere feelings.
- Ivy was a fervent supporter of the school team, cheering at every match, rain or shine.
- Similar: passionate, keen, eager
- flabbergasted
- So surprised that you do not know what to say.
- Mum was flabbergasted when Jo cooked a full roast dinner all by herself.
- Similar: amazed, astonished, stunned
- forlorn
- Lonely, sad and left all alone.
- The forlorn teddy bear sat in the lost-property box for weeks, waiting for someone to claim him.
- Similar: lonely, sad, abandoned
- frantic
- Wild with worry, fear or hurry.
- The frantic mother duck flapped and quacked as her ducklings wandered towards the road.
- Similar: panicky, desperate, wild
- fraught
- Full of worry or danger.
- The journey across the icy mountain pass was fraught with danger.
- Similar: tense, worried, stressful
- furious
- Wildly angry, so cross that you can hardly keep calm.
- Mum was furious when the muddy dog jumped onto the clean white sofa.
- Similar: angry, raging, fuming
- glum
- Quietly sad and in low spirits.
- Rained off from the picnic, the family sat glum around the kitchen table, staring at the packed hamper.
- Similar: sad, gloomy, down
- hesitant
- Slow to act because you are not sure.
- Maya was hesitant at the pool's edge, dipping one toe in and pulling it straight back out.
- Similar: unsure, doubtful
- hilarious
- Extremely funny.
- The clown's hilarious tricks left the whole audience crying with laughter.
- Similar: funny, comical, amusing
- hysterical
- So overcome with emotion that you cannot control yourself.
- When the spider dropped onto her desk, Amy became hysterical, shrieking and flapping her arms.
- Similar: frantic, wild, panicky
- impatient
- Not wanting to wait for something.
- The impatient puppy scratched at the door before anyone could find the lead.
- Similar: restless, eager
- indifferent
- Not caring or interested either way.
- Marcus shrugged, completely indifferent to whether they went swimming or stayed home.
- Similar: unmoved, unconcerned
- indignant
- Angry because something seems unfair.
- Priya was indignant when she was blamed for the mess her brother had made.
- Similar: angry, annoyed, cross
- irate
- Very angry, and showing it by shouting or complaining.
- The irate chef slammed the pan down when the delivery arrived two hours late.
- Similar: angry, furious, fuming
- irresistible
- So tempting that you cannot say no to it.
- The smell of fresh doughnuts was irresistible, and Leo's pocket money vanished in seconds.
- Similar: tempting, inviting, appealing
- irritable
- Easily annoyed and quick to snap.
- Hungry and tired, the baby grew irritable and cried at everything.
- Similar: grumpy, cross, touchy
- jittery
- Nervous and unable to keep still.
- Waiting for her turn on stage, Nina felt jittery and kept tapping her feet.
- Similar: nervous, jumpy, shaky
- jubilant
- Feeling great joy because of a success.
- The jubilant team lifted the trophy and danced around the pitch.
- Similar: joyful, delighted, thrilled
- keen
- Very eager and interested.
- Ava was so keen on astronomy that she set her alarm for the midnight meteor shower.
- Similar: eager, excited, willing
- lethargic
- So tired that you have no energy at all.
- After the long flight, the whole family felt lethargic and dozed on the sofa.
- Similar: sleepy, tired, sluggish
- listless
- Tired and without interest in anything.
- Too hot to play, the children lay listless in the shade, ignoring their toys.
- Similar: tired, weary, dull
- livid
- Extremely angry, bursting with rage.
- Mum was livid when she found muddy footprints across the clean carpet.
- Similar: furious, fuming, raging
- melancholy
- Feeling or showing a deep, quiet sadness.
- A melancholy tune drifted from the violin, and the room fell quiet.
- Similar: sad, gloomy, sorrowful
- morose
- Gloomy, silent and in a bad mood.
- Ever since losing his kite, Theo had been morose, barely saying a word.
- Similar: gloomy, sulky, glum
- mournful
- Full of sadness, especially about a loss.
- The dog gave a mournful howl at the gate every day its owner was away.
- Similar: sad, sorrowful, gloomy
- nauseating
- So horrible that it makes you feel sick.
- The nauseating smell of rotten eggs made everyone hold their noses and rush out of the kitchen.
- Similar: sickening, disgusting, foul
- nauseous
- Feeling sick, as if you might vomit.
- The twisting roller coaster made Dad feel nauseous.
- Similar: sick, queasy, ill
- nostalgic
- Feeling happy and a little sad when you remember good times from the past.
- Looking through her old toy box made Mum nostalgic for her own childhood summers.
- Similar: sentimental, longing
- optimistic
- Believing that good things will happen.
- Even with rain forecast, Rosa stayed optimistic that sports day would go ahead.
- Similar: hopeful, positive, cheerful
- pessimistic
- Expecting the worst to happen.
- Don't be so pessimistic; one grey cloud doesn't mean the picnic is ruined.
- Similar: negative, hopeless, gloomy
- petrified
- So frightened that you cannot move.
- Petrified by the thunder, the cat froze halfway up the curtain.
- Similar: terrified, frozen, scared
- ravenous
- Extremely hungry, and ready to eat greedily.
- After the ten-mile hike, the scouts were ravenous and ate every sandwich in sight.
- Similar: starving, hungry
- reluctant
- Not wanting to do something.
- Priya was reluctant to leave the fair, dragging her feet all the way to the gate.
- Similar: unwilling, hesitant, slow
- serene
- Calm, peaceful and untroubled.
- The lake was so serene at dawn that not a single ripple broke its surface.
- Similar: calm, peaceful, quiet
- solemn
- Very serious and not smiling.
- The whole school fell silent during the solemn remembrance assembly.
- Similar: serious, grave, sombre
- spellbound
- So amazed or interested that you cannot look away.
- The children sat spellbound as the storyteller lowered her voice for the final twist.
- Similar: gripped, amazed, charmed
- subdued
- Quieter and less lively than usual.
- Nia was subdued after losing her favourite necklace.
- Similar: quiet, muted, downcast
- sullen
- Silent and bad-tempered, refusing to be cheerful.
- Jake stayed sullen all afternoon after losing the match, answering only in grunts.
- Similar: grumpy, moody, sulky
- tender
- Gentle, loving and soft.
- With tender care, Rosa lifted the fallen chick back into its nest.
- Similar: gentle, soft, loving
- vehement
- Showing very strong, forceful feeling.
- Dad gave a vehement shake of his head when I suggested a pet snake.
- Similar: forceful, fierce, passionate
- vicarious
- Felt by watching or hearing about what happens to someone else, rather than doing it yourself.
- Reading adventure stories gives me a vicarious thrill of danger.
- Similar: second-hand, borrowed
- weary
- Very tired after long effort.
- The weary hikers dropped their packs and flopped onto the grass.
- Similar: tired, exhausted, worn-out
- wistful
- Quietly sad because you are longing for something you cannot have.
- Ana gave the sledge a wistful look as the last of the snow melted away.
- Similar: longing, sad, dreamy
- wretched
- Very unhappy, or in a very poor and miserable state.
- Soaked, shivering and hungry, the stray cat looked utterly wretched.
- Similar: miserable, sad, pitiful
Doing words (verbs)44
- alleviate
- To make pain or trouble less bad.
- A cool flannel on his forehead helped alleviate the pounding headache.
- Similar: ease, relieve, lessen
- arouse
- To stir up a feeling, or to wake someone up.
- The strange noise in the attic was enough to arouse our curiosity.
- Similar: stir, awaken, excite
- astonish
- To surprise someone very much.
- The magician astonished the crowd by pulling a rabbit out of an empty hat.
- Similar: amaze, surprise, shock
- bewitch
- To put a magic spell on someone, or to completely charm them.
- The singer's voice seemed to bewitch the audience, who sat in silent wonder.
- Similar: charm, delight, dazzle
- brood
- To keep thinking sadly or angrily about something.
- Ella sat by the window to brood over losing the final, replaying every missed goal.
- Similar: mope, sulk, fret
- captivate
- To hold someone's attention completely because they find something wonderful.
- The storyteller captivated the children, who sat frozen until the very last word.
- Similar: charm, delight, amaze
- cherish
- To love and care for something very much.
- Ella cherished the tatty old teddy her grandad had given her.
- Similar: treasure, love, adore
- console
- To comfort someone who is sad.
- Amira hugged her friend to console her after the disappointing race.
- Similar: comfort, soothe, cheer
- covet
- To badly want something that belongs to someone else.
- It was hard not to covet Priya's shiny new bike with its silver bell and gleaming frame.
- Similar: desire, crave, want
- cringe
- To shrink back or squirm because something is scary or embarrassing.
- Mia cringed as Dad started dancing in front of her whole class.
- Similar: squirm, flinch, shrink
- despise
- To dislike someone or something very strongly.
- Cats seem to despise getting wet.
- Similar: hate, detest, loathe
- detest
- To dislike something so much that you cannot bear it.
- Mia detests mushrooms so much that she picks out every tiny piece before she will touch her pizza.
- Similar: hate, loathe
- embrace
- To hug someone warmly, or to accept something new eagerly.
- The twins ran to embrace their dad at the airport.
- Similar: hug, welcome, accept
- enchant
- To delight someone so much that it feels like magic.
- The street performer's puppet show enchanted the little crowd, who clapped and begged for more.
- Similar: charm, delight, thrill
- enrage
- To make someone extremely angry.
- Nothing enrages Grandad more than the pigeons stealing seeds from his vegetable patch.
- Similar: anger, madden, annoy
- exasperate
- To annoy someone so much that they almost lose patience.
- Losing his shoes for the third morning running, Theo managed to exasperate even his patient mum.
- Similar: annoy, irritate, frustrate
- exult
- To show great joy, especially after winning something.
- The fans exulted in the stands, singing and hugging as the final whistle blew.
- Similar: rejoice, celebrate, cheer
- fluster
- To make someone feel nervous, confused and rushed.
- All the shouting flustered the new waiter, who poured orange juice into the teapot.
- Similar: confuse, rattle, upset
- fret
- To keep worrying about something.
- Grandma fretted all afternoon about the burnt cake, though everyone said it tasted fine.
- Similar: worry, fuss
- fume
- To be very angry, often without saying anything.
- Left out of the game yet again, Tia sat on the wall and fumed.
- Similar: rage, boil, steam
- grieve
- To feel very sad because something or someone has been lost.
- It is natural to grieve when a much-loved pet dies.
- Similar: mourn, weep
- humiliate
- To make someone feel very ashamed or silly in front of others.
- Tripping over on stage in front of the whole school humiliated poor Priya.
- Similar: embarrass, shame, mock
- idolise
- To love and admire someone so much you think they are perfect.
- Ben idolised the striker, copying his haircut, his boots and even his goal celebration.
- Similar: adore, worship, admire
- infuriate
- To make someone lose their temper completely.
- Nothing infuriated Dad more than finding muddy boots on the clean carpet.
- Similar: enrage, anger, madden
- inspire
- To fill someone with the wish or the courage to do something.
- The astronaut's visit to our school will inspire many children to study science.
- Similar: motivate, encourage, stimulate
- irk
- To annoy someone slightly.
- Nothing irked Dad more than finding the milk left out of the fridge again.
- Similar: annoy, bother, bug
- lament
- To show deep sadness about something.
- The fans lamented their team's defeat, sighing all the way home.
- Similar: mourn, grieve, weep
- loathe
- To dislike something so strongly that you can hardly bear it.
- Milo loathes mushrooms so much that he checks every slice of pizza twice.
- Similar: hate, detest, despise
- marvel
- To be filled with wonder and amazement.
- The crowd marvelled at the acrobat spinning high above the ring.
- Similar: wonder, admire, gape
- overwhelm
- To affect someone so strongly that they can hardly cope.
- The kindness of the whole class overwhelmed Maya, and happy tears rolled down her cheeks.
- Similar: swamp, flood, crush
- pacify
- To make someone calm when they are angry or upset.
- Only a warm bottle of milk could pacify the screaming baby.
- Similar: calm, soothe, quiet
- reassure
- To comfort someone and make them feel less worried.
- Mum gave Amy a big hug to reassure her before her first swimming lesson.
- Similar: comfort, calm, soothe
- rejoice
- To feel or show great happiness.
- The whole village began to rejoice, dancing and cheering, when the lost fishing boat sailed home.
- Similar: celebrate, cheer, delight
- relish
- To enjoy something very much.
- Marco relished every mouthful of the chocolate pudding, eating it as slowly as he could.
- Similar: enjoy, savour, love
- repent
- To feel truly sorry for something wrong you have done.
- The greedy king began to repent when he saw how hungry his people were.
- Similar: regret
- resent
- To feel angry about something because it seems unfair.
- Zoe resented doing all the tidying while her brother played games upstairs.
- Similar: begrudge, dislike
- savour
- To enjoy something slowly so the pleasure lasts as long as possible.
- Maya savoured every spoonful of the chocolate pudding, making it last the whole of break.
- Similar: enjoy, relish, appreciate
- seethe
- To be so angry inside that you feel like you are boiling.
- Priya seethed quietly at the back of the class after being blamed for something she did not do.
- Similar: fume, rage, boil
- soothe
- To make someone feel calmer or to make pain gentler.
- Mum's soft humming soothed the crying baby to sleep.
- Similar: calm, comfort, ease
- tantalise
- To tease someone by showing them something they want but cannot have.
- The smell of fresh doughnuts tantalised the children waiting in the queue.
- Similar: tease, tempt, lure
- torment
- To cause a person or animal great suffering or annoyance, often again and again.
- The itchy jumper tormented Ali all day until he finally wriggled out of it.
- Similar: plague, pester, torture
- unnerve
- To make someone lose their confidence or feel worried.
- The silent, empty corridor unnerved Sam as he hurried to the office.
- Similar: worry, rattle, frighten
- vex
- To annoy or worry someone.
- Nothing vexed Grandpa more than crows pecking at his strawberries.
- Similar: annoy, bother, upset
- yearn
- To want something so much that it almost hurts.
- Far from home, Mei yearned for the smell of her mother's cooking.
- Similar: long, wish, ache
Naming words (nouns)34
- anguish
- Very great sadness or pain.
- She cried out in anguish when she realised her hamster had escaped.
- Similar: pain, sorrow, hurt
- awe
- A feeling of great wonder and respect, sometimes mixed with a little fear.
- We stared in awe at the enormous whale gliding beneath our boat.
- Similar: wonder, amazement, respect
- burden
- A heavy load to carry, or a worry that weighs on your mind.
- The donkey trudged up the hill under the burden of three heavy sacks.
- Similar: load, weight, strain
- contempt
- A strong feeling that someone or something is worthless.
- The proud chef looked at the burnt toast with utter contempt.
- Similar: scorn, disgust, dislike
- despair
- The feeling of losing all hope.
- Lost in the maze with night falling, Tom felt despair creep over him: he would never find the way out.
- Similar: desperation, misery
- discontent
- A feeling of being unhappy and not satisfied.
- There was growing discontent among the players about the long training sessions.
- Similar: dissatisfaction, unhappiness, frustration
- disdain
- A feeling that someone or something is not worth your respect.
- The cat looked at the cheap food with disdain, sniffed it once, and stalked away.
- Similar: scorn, dislike, disgust
- dismay
- A shocked, worried feeling when something unpleasant happens.
- To her dismay, Ruby realised she had left her homework on the bus.
- Similar: shock, alarm, worry
- distress
- Great worry, sadness or pain.
- The lifeguard spotted a swimmer in distress, waving his arms and shouting for help.
- Similar: misery, anguish, upset
- dread
- A strong fear of something that is going to happen.
- Ella was filled with dread as the dentist's door creaked open and her name was called.
- Similar: fear, terror, worry
- esteem
- A feeling of great respect and admiration for someone.
- The whole village held the kind old doctor in high esteem.
- Similar: respect, regard, admiration
- fatigue
- A feeling of great tiredness.
- Fatigue washed over the runners, whose legs felt heavier with every mile.
- Similar: tiredness, weariness, sleepiness
- foreboding
- A strong feeling that something bad is about to happen.
- A sense of foreboding crept over Lily as she noticed the front door swinging open.
- Similar: dread, worry, fear
- frenzy
- A burst of wild, out-of-control excitement or activity.
- The seagulls whipped themselves into a frenzy when Dad dropped his bag of chips.
- Similar: madness, wildness
- glee
- A feeling of great delight and excitement.
- The children shrieked with glee as the snow began to settle thick enough for sledging.
- Similar: joy, delight, cheer
- gratitude
- A feeling of being thankful.
- Overflowing with gratitude, the old man thanked the girl who had found his lost dog.
- Similar: thankfulness, appreciation, thanks
- kinship
- A close connection or family bond between people.
- Though they had just met, the two goalkeepers felt an instant kinship.
- Similar: bond, closeness, family
- malady
- An illness or disease.
- The doctor could not work out what malady was making the king so tired.
- Similar: illness, disease, ailment
- mirth
- Happy laughter and fun.
- The room filled with mirth as Grandad's terrible jokes somehow got funnier and funnier.
- Similar: laughter, joy, fun
- outburst
- A sudden explosion of strong feeling, like anger or laughter.
- His angry outburst surprised everyone, because he was normally so calm and quiet.
- Similar: explosion, fit, storm
- outrage
- A feeling of great anger and shock at something unfair.
- There was outrage in the playground when the football pitch was closed for the whole summer.
- Similar: anger, fury, shock
- plight
- A sad or difficult situation someone is stuck in.
- Seeing the kitten's plight, stranded on the high wall, Zara ran to fetch a ladder.
- Similar: trouble, difficulty, mess
- qualm
- A worried feeling that what you are doing might be wrong.
- Ben felt a sudden qualm about copying the answers, so he quietly put his friend's book down.
- Similar: doubt, worry, unease
- remorse
- A deep feeling of sorrow for something wrong you have done.
- Full of remorse, Ethan saved his pocket money to replace the window he had smashed.
- Similar: guilt, regret, shame
- scorn
- A strong feeling that someone or something is useless and deserves no respect.
- The proud cat looked at the muddy dog with utter scorn and turned away.
- Similar: contempt, mockery
- temptation
- A strong wish to do something, especially something you know you shouldn't.
- The chocolate cake on the table was a huge temptation.
- Similar: urge, desire, lure
- trepidation
- A nervous, fearful feeling about something that is going to happen.
- With great trepidation, Omar knocked on the dentist's door.
- Similar: fear, worry, dread
- triumph
- A great victory or success.
- Winning the county chess final was the proudest triumph of Lena's life.
- Similar: victory, win, success
- turmoil
- A state of great confusion and upset.
- The classroom was in turmoil after a pigeon flew in through the window.
- Similar: chaos, confusion, muddle
- twinge
- A sudden short pain or unpleasant feeling.
- Zoe felt a twinge of guilt as she walked past the broken vase she had hidden.
- Similar: pang, prick, stab
- vengeance
- The act of hurting someone back for what they did to you.
- The defeated knight swore vengeance on the rival who had tricked him.
- Similar: revenge, payback, spite
- woe
- A feeling of deep sadness or big trouble.
- The poem told of the sailor's woe as his ship drifted far from home.
- Similar: sadness, sorrow, grief
- wrath
- Very great anger.
- The giant's wrath shook the mountain when he found his golden goose missing.
- Similar: anger, rage, fury
- zest
- A feeling of great enjoyment and enthusiasm.
- Leo attacked the muddy obstacle course with real zest, laughing the whole way round.
- Similar: eagerness, energy, joy