Feelings & Emotions
Words for describing complex emotions and emotional responses
Overview
25 A2 words for expressing emotions, moods, and emotional reactions more precisely than basic happy/sad.
Words
afraid /əˈfreɪd/
adjective — A2
Meaning: feeling fear; scared
Examples:
- She’s afraid of spiders.
- I’m afraid I can’t help you.
Collocations: afraid of, I’m afraid, be afraid to
asleep /əˈsliːp/
adjective — A2
Meaning: not awake; sleeping
Examples:
- The baby is asleep.
- I fell asleep during the movie.
Collocations: fall asleep, fast asleep, half asleep
calm /kɑːm/
adjective, verb — A2
Meaning: peaceful; not excited or worried
Examples:
- Try to stay calm.
- The sea was very calm.
Collocations: calm down, remain calm, calm and relaxed
Word Family: calm (adj./v.) → calmly (adv.)
comfort /ˈkʌmfət/
noun, verb — A2
Meaning: (n.) a pleasant feeling of being relaxed; (v.) to make someone feel better
Examples:
- She likes the comfort of her own home.
- He tried to comfort the crying child.
Collocations: in comfort, comfort zone, comfort food
Word Family: comfort (n./v.) → comfortable (adj.) → uncomfortable (adj.)
confuse /kənˈfjuːz/
verb — A2
Meaning: to make someone unable to think clearly
Examples:
- The instructions confused me.
- Don’t confuse “their” with “there.”
Collocations: get confused, easily confused
Word Family: confuse (v.) → confused (adj.) → confusing (adj.) → confusion (n.)
cry /kraɪ/
verb, noun — A2
Meaning: to produce tears; to shout
Examples:
- She started to cry when she heard the news.
- They heard a cry for help.
Collocations: cry out, cry for help, have a good cry
disappoint /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnt/
verb — A2
Meaning: to make someone sad by not meeting their hopes
Examples:
- I don’t want to disappoint you.
- The results disappointed everyone.
Collocations: deeply disappointed, bitterly disappointed
Word Family: disappoint (v.) → disappointed (adj.) → disappointing (adj.) → disappointment (n.)
embarrass /ɪmˈbærəs/
verb — A2
Meaning: to make someone feel shy or ashamed
Examples:
- Please don’t embarrass me in front of my friends.
- She was embarrassed by the mistake.
Collocations: feel embarrassed, slightly embarrassed
Word Family: embarrass (v.) → embarrassed (adj.) → embarrassing (adj.) → embarrassment (n.)
excited /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/
adjective — A2
Meaning: feeling very happy and enthusiastic
Examples:
- The children are excited about Christmas.
- I’m so excited to see you!
Collocations: get excited, really excited, excited about
Word Family: excited (adj.) → exciting (adj.) → excitement (n.) → excite (v.)
experience /ɪkˈspɪəriəns/
noun, verb — A2
Meaning: knowledge or skill from doing things; an event
Examples:
- She has a lot of experience in teaching.
- It was an amazing experience.
Collocations: work experience, learning experience, first-hand experience
frighten /ˈfraɪtn/
verb — A2
Meaning: to make someone feel afraid
Examples:
- The loud noise frightened the cat.
- Don’t frighten the children.
Collocations: frightened of, easily frightened
Word Family: frighten (v.) → frightened (adj.) → frightening (adj.)
glad /ɡlæd/
adjective — A2
Meaning: pleased and happy
Examples:
- I’m glad you could come.
- She was glad to hear the news.
Collocations: glad to, glad that, glad about
grateful /ˈɡreɪtfl/
adjective — A2
Meaning: feeling thankful for something
Examples:
- I’m very grateful for your help.
- She was grateful to be alive.
Collocations: grateful for, grateful to, deeply grateful
inspire /ɪnˈspaɪər/
verb — A2
Meaning: to give someone the desire or confidence to do something
Examples:
- Her story inspired me to travel.
- The teacher inspires his students.
Collocations: inspire someone to, be inspired by
Word Family: inspire (v.) → inspiration (n.) → inspiring (adj.) → inspired (adj.)
jealous /ˈdʒeləs/
adjective — A2
Meaning: feeling unhappy because someone has what you want
Examples:
- She was jealous of her friend’s success.
- Don’t be jealous!
Collocations: jealous of, get jealous, feel jealous
Word Family: jealous (adj.) → jealousy (n.)
lonely /ˈləʊnli/
adjective — A2
Meaning: feeling sad because you are alone
Examples:
- She felt lonely after moving to a new city.
- It can be a lonely job.
Collocations: feel lonely, lonely place, lonely life
Word Family: lonely (adj.) → loneliness (n.)
mood /muːd/
noun — A2
Meaning: how you feel at a particular time
Examples:
- She’s in a good mood today.
- I’m not in the mood for cooking.
Collocations: good mood, bad mood, in the mood
nervous /ˈnɜːvəs/
adjective — A2
Meaning: worried and slightly afraid
Examples:
- I’m nervous about the interview.
- She always gets nervous before exams.
Collocations: feel nervous, nervous about, nervous system
Word Family: nervous (adj.) → nervously (adv.) → nerve (n.)
patient /ˈpeɪʃnt/
adjective, noun — A2
Meaning: (adj.) able to wait without getting angry; (n.) a person receiving medical care
Examples:
- Please be patient — it’ll take a few minutes.
- The doctor has thirty patients a day.
Collocations: be patient, patient with, hospital patient
Word Family: patient (adj./n.) → patience (n.) → impatient (adj.)
pleased /pliːzd/
adjective — A2
Meaning: happy and satisfied
Examples:
- I’m pleased with the results.
- She was pleased to meet you.
Collocations: pleased with, pleased to, very pleased
proud /praʊd/
adjective — A2
Meaning: feeling happy about something you or someone else has done
Examples:
- I’m proud of my daughter.
- She’s proud of her achievements.
Collocations: proud of, proud to, feel proud
Word Family: proud (adj.) → proudly (adv.) → pride (n.)
relax /rɪˈlæks/
verb — A2
Meaning: to rest and become less tense
Examples:
- Just relax and enjoy the music.
- I like to relax after work.
Collocations: relax and enjoy, try to relax, relax your muscles
Word Family: relax (v.) → relaxed (adj.) → relaxing (adj.) → relaxation (n.)
satisfy /ˈsætɪsfaɪ/
verb — A2
Meaning: to give someone what they want or need
Examples:
- The answer didn’t satisfy her.
- Nothing satisfies him.
Collocations: satisfied with, customer satisfaction
Word Family: satisfy (v.) → satisfied (adj.) → satisfying (adj.) → satisfaction (n.)
shock /ʃɒk/
noun, verb — A2
Meaning: a sudden unpleasant surprise; to surprise greatly
Examples:
- The news came as a shock.
- I was shocked when I heard.
Collocations: culture shock, in shock, shocked by
Word Family: shock (n./v.) → shocked (adj.) → shocking (adj.)
worry /ˈwʌri/
verb, noun — A2
Meaning: to feel anxious about something
Examples:
- Don’t worry about it.
- He’s a constant source of worry.
Collocations: don’t worry, worry about, worried sick
Word Family: worry (v./n.) → worried (adj.) → worrying (adj.)
Quick Review
| Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| afraid | adj. | scared |
| asleep | adj. | sleeping |
| calm | adj./v. | peaceful |
| comfort | n./v. | ease; console |
| confuse | v. | make unclear |
| cry | v./n. | produce tears |
| disappoint | v. | let down |
| embarrass | v. | cause shame |
| excited | adj. | very enthusiastic |
| experience | n./v. | knowledge from doing |
| frighten | v. | make afraid |
| glad | adj. | pleased |
| grateful | adj. | thankful |
| inspire | v. | motivate |
| jealous | adj. | envious |
| lonely | adj. | sad and alone |
| mood | n. | emotional state |
| nervous | adj. | anxious |
| patient | adj./n. | tolerant; medical person |
| pleased | adj. | satisfied |
| proud | adj. | feeling pride |
| relax | v. | rest; unwind |
| satisfy | v. | fulfil needs |
| shock | n./v. | sudden surprise |
| worry | v./n. | feel anxious |