Emotions are words that describe how we feel inside. They help us communicate with others and understand ourselves better. Here are 10 common categories of emotions in English, each with example words.
Happiness
Words that describe feeling good, joyful, or content.
English Singular | English Plural | Simple English Definition | Example Sentence (English) | Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
happiness | n/a | the state of being happy | Her happiness was obvious. | felicidad | n/a | Su felicidad era evidente. |
joy | n/a | a very strong feeling of happiness | He felt joy when he won. | alegría | n/a | Sintió alegría cuando ganó. |
smile | smiles | a facial expression showing happiness | She has a big smile. | sonrisa | sonrisas | Ella tiene una gran sonrisa. |
delight | n/a | great pleasure or enjoyment | The surprise was a delight. | deleite | n/a | La sorpresa fue un deleite. |
cheerfulness | n/a | the quality of being happy and positive | His cheerfulness is contagious. | alegría | n/a | Su alegría es contagiosa. |
contentment | n/a | a feeling of being satisfied | She lived in contentment. | satisfacción | n/a | Vivió en satisfacción. |
excitement | n/a | a feeling of eager enthusiasm | The children were full of excitement. | emoción | n/a | Los niños estaban llenos de emoción. |
bliss | n/a | perfect happiness | They lived in bliss together. | felicidad | n/a | Vivían en felicidad juntos. |
pleasure | n/a | a feeling of enjoyment | It was a pleasure to meet you. | placer | n/a | Fue un placer conocerte. |
glee | n/a | great joy, sometimes a bit mischievous | He laughed with glee. | júbilo | n/a | Se rió con júbilo. |
Sadness
Words that describe feeling unhappy or sorrowful.
English Singular | English Plural | Simple English Definition | Example Sentence (English) | Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sadness | n/a | the state of being sad | Her sadness was deep. | tristeza | n/a | Su tristeza era profunda. |
grief | n/a | deep sorrow, especially after a loss | He felt grief for his friend. | pena | n/a | Sintió pena por su amigo. |
sorrow | n/a | a feeling of deep sadness | She was full of sorrow. | aflicción | n/a | Estaba llena de aflicción. |
misery | n/a | extreme unhappiness | The poem describes misery. | miseria | n/a | El poema describe miseria. |
gloom | n/a | a feeling of darkness and sadness | The room was filled with gloom. | oscuridad | n/a | La habitación estaba llena de oscuridad. |
despair | n/a | complete loss of hope | He sank into despair. | desesperación | n/a | Cayó en desesperación. |
melancholy | n/a | a deep, gentle sadness | There was a touch of melancholy in her eyes. | melancolía | n/a | Había un toque de melancolía en sus ojos. |
loneliness | n/a | the feeling of being alone | Loneliness can be hard. | soledad | n/a | La soledad puede ser difícil. |
disappointment | n/a | sadness because something is not as hoped | She felt disappointment in the test. | decepción | n/a | Sintió decepción en el examen. |
regret | n/a | sadness about something done or not done | He expressed regret for the mistake. | arrepentimiento | n/a | Expresó arrepentimiento por el error. |
Anger
Words that describe feeling mad or upset.
English Singular | English Plural | Simple English Definition | Example Sentence (English) | Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
anger | n/a | the state of being angry | His anger was obvious. | ira | n/a | Su ira era evidente. |
rage | n/a | extreme anger | She flew into a rage. | furia | n/a | Ella estalló en furia. |
fury | n/a | intense, uncontrollable anger | The crowd was filled with fury. | furia | n/a | La multitud estaba llena de furia. |
annoyance | n/a | mild anger or irritation | He showed annoyance at the delay. | molestia | n/a | Mostró molestia por el retraso. |
frustration | n/a | feeling upset because of obstacles | Her frustration grew. | frustración | n/a | Creció su frustración. |
resentment | n/a | bitterness from being treated unfairly | He felt resentment at the decision. | resentimiento | n/a | Sintió resentimiento por la decisión. |
irritation | n/a | slight anger or discomfort | There was irritation in her voice. | irritación | n/a | Había irritación en su voz. |
hostility | n/a | unfriendly or angry behavior | There was hostility between them. | hostilidad | n/a | Había hostilidad entre ellos. |
wrath | n/a | extreme anger, often used in stories | The god’s wrath was feared. | ira | n/a | Se temía la ira del dios. |
outrage | n/a | strong anger about something unfair | The decision caused outrage. | indignación | n/a | La decisión causó indignación. |
Choose the word that best fits: The crowd was filled with ____. (fury)
fury
Fury means intense, uncontrollable anger.
Fear
Words that describe feeling afraid or worried.
English Singular | English Plural | Simple English Definition | Example Sentence (English) | Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
fear | n/a | the feeling of being scared | Fear took over her. | miedo | n/a | El miedo la dominó. |
anxiety | n/a | worry about the future | He felt anxiety before the test. | ansiedad | n/a | Sintió ansiedad antes del examen. |
terror | n/a | extreme fear | The story was filled with terror. | terror | n/a | La historia estaba llena de terror. |
panic | n/a | sudden, intense fear | Panic spread through the crowd. | pánico | n/a | El pánico se extendió entre la multitud. |
dread | n/a | great fear about something unpleasant | She felt dread about the trip. | temor | n/a | Sintió temor por el viaje. |
unease | n/a | a feeling of discomfort or worry | There was unease in the room. | incomodidad | n/a | Había incomodidad en la habitación. |
horror | n/a | a strong feeling of shock and fear | The movie was full of horror. | horror | n/a | La película estaba llena de horror. |
nervousness | n/a | slight fear before an event | His nervousness was clear. | nerviosismo | n/a | Su nerviosismo era evidente. |
worry | n/a | concern about problems | She was full of worry. | preocupación | n/a | Estaba llena de preocupación. |
apprehension | n/a | worry about something that may happen | There was apprehension before the meeting. | aprensión | n/a | Había aprensión antes de la reunión. |
Surprise
Words that describe feeling shocked or amazed.
English Singular | English Plural | Simple English Definition | Example Sentence (English) | Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
surprise | n/a | a feeling caused by something unexpected | The surprise was exciting. | sorpresa | n/a | La sorpresa fue emocionante. |
amazement | n/a | great surprise or wonder | She watched in amazement. | asombro | n/a | Miró con asombro. |
astonishment | n/a | very strong surprise | His astonishment was clear. | asombro | n/a | Su asombro era evidente. |
shock | n/a | a sudden, strong surprise | The news was a shock. | choque | n/a | La noticia fue un choque. |
wonder | n/a | a feeling of amazement | The child looked in wonder. | maravilla | n/a | El niño miró con maravilla. |
disbelief | n/a | refusal to believe something | There was disbelief in her eyes. | incredulidad | n/a | Había incredulidad en sus ojos. |
awe | n/a | a mix of fear and wonder | The sight filled her with awe. | asombro | n/a | La vista la llenó de asombro. |
confusion | n/a | a feeling of not understanding | There was confusion in the room. | confusión | n/a | Había confusión en la habitación. |
stupefaction | n/a | being shocked so much you can’t think | He stood in stupefaction. | estupor | n/a | Se quedó en estupor. |
excitement | n/a | a feeling of eager enthusiasm (can overlap) | The surprise caused excitement. | emoción | n/a | La sorpresa causó emoción. |
Disgust
Words that describe feeling strong dislike or revulsion.
English Singular | English Plural | Simple English Definition | Example Sentence (English) | Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
disgust | n/a | a strong feeling of dislike | The smell caused disgust. | disgusto | n/a | El olor causó disgusto. |
revulsion | n/a | a strong feeling of disgust | She turned away in revulsion. | repulsión | n/a | Se apartó con repulsión. |
loathing | n/a | a deep hatred | He felt loathing for the liar. | aversión | n/a | Sintió aversión por el mentiroso. |
nausea | n/a | a feeling of sickness | The sight caused nausea. | náusea | n/a | La vista causó náusea. |
aversion | n/a | a strong dislike | There was aversion to the idea. | aversión | n/a | Había aversión a la idea. |
distaste | n/a | mild disgust | She showed distaste for the food. | disgusto | n/a | Mostró disgusto por la comida. |
repugnance | n/a | strong disgust | The act was met with repugnance. | repugnancia | n/a | El acto fue recibido con repugnancia. |
intolerance | n/a | unwillingness to accept something | There was intolerance in his views. | intolerancia | n/a | Había intolerancia en sus opiniones. |
contempt | n/a | feeling that something is worthless | He looked at them with contempt. | desprecio | n/a | Los miró con desprecio. |
abhorrence | n/a | extreme disgust | She felt abhorrence for cruelty. | aborrecimiento | n/a | Sintió aborrecimiento por la crueldad. |
Choose the word that best fits: She turned away in ____. (revulsion)
revulsion
Revulsion is a strong feeling of disgust.
Choose the word that best fits: The smell caused ____. (disgust)
disgust
Disgust is a strong feeling of dislike.
Love
Words that describe feeling deep affection or care.
English Singular | English Plural | Simple English Definition | Example Sentence (English) | Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
love | n/a | a deep feeling of care | Their love was strong. | amor | n/a | Su amor era fuerte. |
affection | n/a | a gentle loving feeling | She showed affection to her dog. | afecto | n/a | Mostró afecto a su perro. |
passion | n/a | a strong, intense love | Their passion was undeniable. | pasión | n/a | Su pasión era innegable. |
fondness | n/a | a liking or gentle love | He had fondness for old books. | cariño | n/a | Tenía cariño por los libros viejos. |
adoration | n/a | deep love and respect | She looked at him with adoration. | adoración | n/a | Lo miraba con adoración. |
infatuation | n/a | a strong but short love | The teen felt infatuation. | enamoramiento | n/a | El adolescente sintió enamoramiento. |
devotion | n/a | strong love and loyalty | His devotion was unwavering. | devoción | n/a | Su devoción era inquebrantable. |
tenderness | n/a | gentle and caring love | There was tenderness in her touch. | ternura | n/a | Había ternura en su toque. |
desire | n/a | a strong feeling of wanting someone | He felt desire for her. | deseo | n/a | Sintió deseo por ella. |
attachment | n/a | emotional connection | The child formed attachment to the toy. | apego | n/a | El niño formó apego al juguete. |
Excitement
Words that describe feeling eager and energetic.
English Singular | English Plural | Simple English Definition | Example Sentence (English) | Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
excitement | n/a | a feeling of eager enthusiasm | The announcement caused excitement. | emoción | n/a | El anuncio causó emoción. |
enthusiasm | n/a | strong interest and eagerness | She spoke with enthusiasm. | entusiasmo | n/a | Habló con entusiasmo. |
exhilaration | n/a | a feeling of great excitement | The ride brought exhilaration. | euforia | n/a | El paseo trajo euforia. |
anticipation | n/a | looking forward to something | There was anticipation before the game. | anticipación | n/a | Había anticipación antes del juego. |
thrill | n/a | a sudden feeling of excitement | The rollercoaster was a thrill. | emoción | n/a | La montaña rusa fue una emoción. |
jubilation | n/a | great joy and celebration | The crowd was in jubilation. | júbilo | n/a | La multitud estaba en júbilo. |
eagerness | n/a | strong desire to do something | He showed eagerness to learn. | ansia | n/a | Mostró ansia por aprender. |
delight | n/a | great pleasure | The children were a delight. | deleite | n/a | Los niños fueron un deleite. |
zest | n/a | great enthusiasm and energy | She tackled the project with zest. | entusiasmo | n/a | Abordó el proyecto con entusiasmo. |
buoyancy | n/a | a cheerful and energetic feeling | His buoyancy lifted the mood. | alegría | n/a | Su alegría levantó el ánimo. |
Calm
Words that describe feeling peaceful and relaxed.
English Singular | English Plural | Simple English Definition | Example Sentence (English) | Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
calm | n/a | a state of peace and quiet | She remained calm under pressure. | calma | n/a | Ella mantuvo la calma bajo presión. |
peace | n/a | a feeling of tranquility | The garden brought peace. | paz | n/a | El jardín traía paz. |
relaxation | n/a | the state of being relaxed | Music aids relaxation. | relajación | n/a | La música ayuda a la relajación. |
serenity | n/a | a deep sense of calm | The lake shimmered with serenity. | serenidad | n/a | El lago brillaba con serenidad. |
tranquility | n/a | peacefulness | There was tranquility in the forest. | tranquilidad | n/a | Había tranquilidad en el bosque. |
composure | n/a | staying calm and controlled | He kept his composure on stage. | compostura | n/a | Mantuvo su compostura en el escenario. |
stillness | n/a | complete quiet and calm | The room was filled with stillness. | quietud | n/a | La habitación estaba llena de quietud. |
contentment | n/a | a state of satisfaction and calm | She felt contentment after the meal. | satisfacción | n/a | Sintió satisfacción después de la comida. |
repose | n/a | a state of rest and calm | The cat lay in repose. | reposo | n/a | El gato yacía en reposo. |
equanimity | n/a | mental calmness, especially in difficulty | He faced challenges with equanimity. | ecuanimidad | n/a | Enfrentó los retos con ecuanimidad. |
Choose the word that best fits: She remained ____ during the storm. (calm)
calm
Calm means a state of peace and quiet.
Embarrassment
Words that describe feeling self-conscious or ashamed.
English Singular | English Plural | Simple English Definition | Example Sentence (English) | Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | Example Sentence (Spanish) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
embarrassment | n/a | a feeling of self-conscious shame | She blushed with embarrassment. | vergüenza | n/a | Se sonrojó de vergüenza. |
shame | n/a | a painful feeling about oneself | He felt shame for the mistake. | vergüenza | n/a | Sintió vergüenza por el error. |
awkwardness | n/a | a feeling of discomfort | There was awkwardness in the room. | incomodidad | n/a | Había incomodidad en la habitación. |
humiliation | n/a | a deep feeling of shame | The loss caused humiliation. | humillación | n/a | La derrota causó humillación. |
self-consciousness | n/a | being very aware of oneself | Her self-consciousness grew. | timidez | n/a | Creció su timidez. |
blush | blushes | to redden the face from embarrassment | He began to blush. | rubor | n/a | Empezó a ruborizarse. |
discomfort | n/a | a feeling of unease | There was discomfort on stage. | incomodidad | n/a | Hubo incomodidad en el escenario. |
mortification | n/a | extreme embarrassment | She faced mortification calmly. | mortificación | n/a | Enfrentó la mortificación con calma. |
fluster | n/a | a state of nervous confusion | He was in a fluster. | confusión | n/a | Estaba en confusión. |
unease | n/a | mild discomfort or worry | There was unease at the meeting. | inquietud | n/a | Había inquietud en la reunión. |
Choose the word that best fits: She blushed with ____. (embarrassment)
embarrassment
Embarrassment is a feeling of self-conscious shame.
Emotions are words that describe how we feel inside. They help us talk to others and understand ourselves. Here are 10 common groups of emotions, each with example words:
- Happiness: joy, smile, delight, cheerfulness, contentment, excitement, bliss, pleasure, glee
- Sadness: grief, sorrow, misery, gloom, despair, melancholy, loneliness, disappointment, regret
- Anger: rage, fury, annoyance, frustration, resentment, irritation, hostility, wrath, outrage
- Fear: anxiety, terror, panic, dread, unease, horror, nervousness, worry, apprehension
- Surprise: amazement, astonishment, shock, wonder, disbelief, awe, confusion, stupefaction, excitement
- Disgust: revulsion, loathing, nausea, aversion, distaste, repugnance, intolerance, contempt, abhorrence
- Love: affection, passion, fondness, adoration, infatuation, devotion, tenderness, desire, attachment
- Excitement: enthusiasm, exhilaration, anticipation, thrill, jubilation, eagerness, delight, zest, buoyancy
- Calm: peace, relaxation, serenity, tranquility, composure, stillness, contentment, repose, equanimity
- Embarrassment: shame, awkwardness, humiliation, self-consciousness, blush, discomfort, mortification, fluster, unease
You can use these words to describe how you feel or what you see in others.
Flashcards (1 of 100)
- English Singular: happiness
- English Plural: n/a
- Simple English Definition: the state of being happy
- Example Sentence (English): Her happiness was obvious.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025