How To Talk About Your Feelings: 21 Words to Describe Emotions and Feelings

One of the most important reasons to learn a language is to be able to communicate with people. You need to be able to express your thoughts in a way that is clear and easily understood.

One other thing you should learn to express clearly is your feelings and emotions. You need to be able to understand how to describe your emotional state and to talk about your feelings in conversation.

In this post, we’re going to go through some of the most basic and common words for feelings and emotions. Learn how to identify these feelings in yourself and others in order to improve your ability to clearly express your thoughts.

1. Happiness

Happiness is a positive emotion. It is a pleasant feeling or emotional state that comes will when you are content or satisfied with your situation.

Happiness is commonly associated when getting what you want. If you received a present that you liked, for example, you feel happy. If someone tells you did a good job, you will express happiness.

Non-verbal signals for happiness: A smile, relaxed posture, laughter

Other common words to describe the feeling of happiness:

• Joy

• Pleased 

• Contented 

• Satisfied

• Amused

• Proud

• Ecstatic

• Cheerful

• Delighted

• Merry

• Thrilled

• Gleeful

2. Sadness

Sadness is a negative emotion that is associated with dissatisfaction with an outcome. If you are disappointed with your situation or did not receive the desired outcome, you will feel sadness.

There are different degrees of sadness that usually vary according to how seriously a person is affected by something that happened. 

For example, you can say that you are sad if the shop didn’t have the ice cream flavor you liked. This sadness describes being disappointed but it is considered temporary as it is not something that will affect you for a long time.

A deeper sadness, however, occurs when you experience a bad situation that has long-lasting effects. For example, the death of a loved one will stay with you for a long time and can trigger feelings of sadness long after the event itself.

Non-verbal signs of sadness: Crying, frowning, hunched over posture, not meeting people’s eyes

Other words that can be used to describe feeling sad or are associated with sadness:

• Unhappy

• Sorrow

• Grief

• Disappointment

• Depressed

• Hopeless

• Despair

• Dismayed

• Hurt

• Miserable

• Melancholy

• Somber

3. Fear

Fear is another word to describe emotions and feelings that are negative but universal. Fear is a primal emotion that is commonly understood to trigger what is called the “fight or flight” response.

Basically, when you are faced with a threat, you feel fear and this triggers several bodily reactions that are meant to help you “survive” the threat.

For example, our ancestors would feel fear when faced with a predator, they would then need to make the decision to either run away from it or fight. 

Now, when you are faced with a scary or shocking situation, it still triggers a physical response that is meant to help you “survive”. Fear isn’t just felt when facing physical danger; however, you might feel it when facing an emotional threat as well.

For example, a physical threat that might make you feel fear is a barking dog or a speeding car. However, you might also feel fear if faced with the threat of losing something valuable to you. If you get a call that your grandma is in the hospital, you will feel fear. 

Non-verbal signs of fear: Wide eyes, stiff posture, jerking back, rapid breathing, increased heart rate

Another word that means that you are feeling a degree of fear:

• Scared

• Frightened

• Terrified

• Threatened

• Worry 

• Anxiety

• Dread

• Shocked

• Vulnerable

• Suspicious

• Alarm

• Apprehensive

• Horror

4. Disgust

Disgust is a negative emotion that you feel when you experience something that is unpleasant. It is usually triggered when you are faced with something that is unpleasant to your senses of sight, smell, or taste.

For example, if you see something that is unpleasant, such as vomit or a dead bug, you will be disgusted. If you smell garbage, you will feel disgusted. If you taste spoiled milk, you will feel disgusted.

Similar to fear, disgust evolved from a “survival instinct” as disgust is usually accompanied by physical reactions that are meant to protect us from what disgusts us. This was especially important as it kept us from eating or touching things that might be harmful to us.

For example, spoiled milk smells and tastes disgusting, it is also physically bad for you. Since spoiled milk disgusts us, it will keep us from drinking it. In some cases, we might spit out or vomit what we already accidentally drank.

We also feel disgusted when someone does something that we consider wrong, shameful, or even evil. Disgust causes us to reject certain acts or even certain people.

Non-verbal signs of disgust: Wrinkling of the nose and/or lips, covering of the nose and/or mouth, frowning, turning away, vomiting, spitting

Other words to express or describe feelings of disgust:

• Dislike

• Distaste

• Abhorrence

• Revolting

• Revulsion

• Contempt

• Ashamed

• Aversion

• Detestable

• Disapproving

• Hatred

• Loathing

5. Anger

Anger is a powerful emotion that you feel if someone has harmed or threatened you or someone or something that you value. It’s similar to fear in that sense.

Anger is triggered when you face the threat of harm or danger. When you feel anger, however, instead of triggering a “fight or flight” response, it triggers just one response “fight”.

For example, if someone cheats off you on a test, anger will move you to confront them and maybe have a few choices swear words that you will want to use to describe them.

Non-verbal signs: Frowning, glaring, clenched fists, yelling, raising of the voice, flushed features

Other words to express or describe feelings of anger: 

• Mad

• Hostility

• Aggression

• Antagonism

• Rage

• Enraged

• Furious

• Irritated

• Resentful 

• Annoyed 

• Irate

• Offended

• Outraged

6. Surprise

This emotion is felt when you experience something unexpected. It has similarities to fear but, compared to fear, it’s only felt briefly and can end with you feeling pleasure.

For example, if you walk into a room on your birthday and people come out with a cake, you might briefly startle but eventually, feel happiness. This is a surprise.

A surprise can be unpleasant, in which case it’s more like a shock. For example, if you are watching a horror movie and a monster suddenly appears on the screen, you will be surprised. This can be considered an unpleasant surprise because you will feel fear briefly.

Non-verbal signs of surprise: Wide eyes, raised eyebrows, an open mouth, rearing or jumping back, gasping, screaming

Other words that mean you were surprised:

• Shocked

• Startled

• Amazed

• Astonished

• Awed

• Stunned

7. Confident

You feel confident if you feel in control of the situation. You can also have confidence in someone else when you believe that they are in control or capable of solving a problem.

8. Embarrassment

If you feel self-conscious or are uneasy in a situation, you feel embarrassed. 

9. Courage

If someone feels fear but decides not to flee but instead stand and fight, they are showing courage.

10. Excitement

If someone feels excited, they are looking forward to an event, or are very interested in something. 

11. Guilt

If you think that you have done something wrong and are uneasy because of it, you are feeling guilt.

12.  Accepted 

You feel accepted when you are recognized as a part of something. You can be accepted into an organization, such as a company, or a social group, such as a family. 

13. Boredom

Someone who feels bored or boredom is not interested in what is going on around them. You can also be bored if you feel that there is nothing happening.

14. Confused

When someone feels confused, they do not understand what is going on.

15. Frustrated

If a situation is not going the way you would like or if you are disappointed in the outcome, you might feel frustrated.

16. Hopeful

If you feel optimistic that a situation will resolve itself in a way that is favorable to you, you will feel hopeful.

17. Curious

If you are feeling curious, it means that you are interested in learning more about something or someone.

18. Jealous

If you are afraid that someone is taking your place or fulfilling your role, you are jealous. This is usually used when talking about a romantic rival. Feeling jealous can lead you to express anger.

19. Lonely

Someone feels lonely if they are physically or even emotionally apart from other people. If you don’t feel accepted by someone or by a group, you might feel lonely.

20. Loving

If someone cares for someone and shows it in their words and actions, they are loving.

21. Kindness

If you are considerate of other people’s feelings, take care not to harm anyone, and do things that will make others happy, then they are expressing kindness.

Aside from learning the different words that are used to describe emotions and feelings, it’s also important to learn idioms and expressions.

Native speakers often use idioms to refer to emotions. For example, if someone has a “face like thunder”, this is an idiom that means someone is feeling anger. Slang and swear words are also another common way that people can express their feelings or describe their moods. 

Feel like learning more? Well, if you find a good online native speaking language tutor, they will be happy to help. 

A good tutor can help you understand the words for emotions that we discussed here. They will also be able to suggest other words and expressions that are used to talk about emotions and feelings that you should learn.