131 Adjectives for Emotional States
Most lists of emotion words are alphabetical, which is the least useful order there is. Nobody sits down knowing they want a word beginning with D. They know roughly what the feeling is and need the right strength of it — the difference between annoyed and exasperated and livid, which is not a difference of meaning so much as of volume.
So this page sorts 131 adjectives for emotional states by family, and inside each family runs roughly from mild to extreme. 21 entries carry a note where the dictionary says something that would otherwise catch you out, and 23 carry a usage label a dictionary prints.
About the checking, precisely: the unusual and contested words were looked up, and the everyday ones were not. Forty-eight were checked against Merriam-Webster and Oxford — almost all past participles that might turn out to have no adjective entry of their own — and seven failed and were dropped, including torn, tormented and chastened. Words like happy and angry were taken on trust, so this page does not claim that every word on it was verified.
One correction is worth putting up front, because it changed the order of a whole section. Seething looks like a step past furious and is not. Oxford defines it as being extremely angry while trying not to show it — so it is the quiet end of rage, not the loud one, and the gradient below places it accordingly.
All 131 adjectives at a glance
abashed, adoring, affectionate, afraid, agitated, alarmed, amazed, ambivalent, angry, anguished, annoyed, anxious, apathetic, apoplectic, apprehensive, ashamed, astonished, astounded, baffled, bereft, besotted, bewildered, blissful, brassed off, brooding, calm, cheerful, collected, composed, conflicted, confused, content, contrite, crestfallen, cross, dejected, delighted, despondent, devoted, disconsolate, disillusioned, disoriented, downcast, drained, dumbfounded, ecstatic, edgy, elated, embarrassed, envious, euphoric, exasperated, exuberant, fearful, flabbergasted, fond, forlorn, frazzled, furious, glad, gleeful, glum, gobsmacked, grateful, guilty, gutted, happy, heartbroken, homesick, hopeful, humiliated, incensed, indignant, irate, irritated, jaded, jealous, jittery, joyful, jubilant, lethargic, listless, livid, lonely, melancholy, morose, mortified, mournful, muddled, nervous, nonplussed, nostalgic, numb, overwhelmed, peeved, penitent, perplexed, petrified, placid, proud, puzzled, relaxed, relieved, remorseful, resentful, restless, rueful, sad, seething, self-conscious, serene, sheepish, skittish, smitten, stricken, stunned, sulky, surprised, tender, tense, terrified, tranquil, uneasy, unruffled, upbeat, vulnerable, weary, wistful, woebegone, worried, wretched
Happiness and pleasure
Mild to extreme, roughly in order. The useful gap is between content, which is about wanting nothing more, and elated, which is about something having just happened.
| Adjective | What it means |
|---|---|
| content | satisfied with what you have, and not wanting more |
| glad | pleased about something that has happened (not before a noun) |
| cheerful | in good spirits, and showing it |
| upbeat | cheerful and optimistic about how things will go (informal) |
| happy | feeling or showing pleasure |
| gleeful | full of glee and merry |
| delighted | very pleased about something |
| joyful | feeling or causing great joy |
| jubilant | feeling and showing great happiness at a success |
| exuberant | full of energy, excitement and cheerfulness |
| elated | very happy and excited, usually because of something that has just happened |
| blissful | completely happy, in a calm and untroubled way |
| euphoric | in a state of intense happiness and confidence |
| ecstatic | feeling overwhelming happiness or joyful excitement |
Sadness, grief and low spirits
The largest family, and the one where register matters most. Woebegone and disconsolate are marked formal; gutted is British and has no Merriam-Webster entry at all, so an American reader has nothing to check it against.
| Adjective | What it means |
|---|---|
| glum | quietly gloomy, and showing it in the face |
| downcast | low in spirits, with the eyes turned down |
| wistful | full of quiet longing for something you can no longer have |
| melancholy | sad in a settled, thoughtful way rather than sharply |
| sad | unhappy, or showing unhappiness |
| dejected | low in spirits and visibly disappointed |
| crestfallen | sad and disappointed, especially after failing when you expected to succeed |
| forlorn | unhappy and alone, and looking it |
| morose | sullen and gloomy, and unwilling to be drawn out of it |
| mournful | expressing sorrow, especially for something lost |
| despondent | sad and without much hope |
| woebegone | looking thoroughly miserable (formal) |
| disconsolate | very unhappy and beyond comforting (formal) |
| disillusioned | disappointed on discovering that something admired was not what it seemed |
| heartbroken | overwhelmed by grief or disappointment |
| gutted | extremely sad or disappointed (British, informal; not before a noun) — Worth knowing: Merriam-Webster has no entry for it at all, so a reader outside Britain has nothing to check it against. |
| stricken | seriously affected by a feeling, an illness or a hard situation (formal) |
| anguished | showing severe mental or physical pain |
| brooding | sunk in moody, serious thought (literary) |
| wretched | deeply distressed in body or mind (not usually before a noun) — Worth knowing: Oxford’s first sense is milder than writers assume – feeling ill or unhappy, as in ‘you look wretched’. Only Merriam-Webster supports it as the far end of a misery scale. |
| bereft | sad and lonely through having lost someone (formal; not before a noun) — Worth knowing: Both dictionaries put this sense second. The first sense is simply being without something (bereft of ideas), which is how the word will be read unless the loss is clear. |
Anger and irritation
Mild at the top, extreme at the bottom, with one deliberate exception: seething sits mid-list because it describes anger held in, not anger let out. Brassed off sounds far stronger than it is — both dictionaries put it beside annoyed.
| Adjective | What it means |
|---|---|
| peeved | mildly annoyed, and showing it (informal) — Worth knowing: Merriam-Webster has no adjective entry; it survives on Oxford alone. |
| brassed off | annoyed and fed up (British; informal in Merriam-Webster, slang in Oxford) — Worth knowing: It sounds vehement and is not: both dictionaries put it at the mild end, beside annoyed. |
| annoyed | slightly angry |
| cross | annoyed or fairly angry (especially British) |
| irritated | made impatient or slightly angry |
| sulky | in a bad mood and not speaking, out of resentment (disapproving) |
| resentful | bitter at having been treated unfairly |
| indignant | angry at something you consider unjust |
| exasperated | intensely irritated after repeated provocation |
| seething | extremely angry while trying not to show it — Worth knowing: Glossed from the verb on purpose, and worth knowing why: Merriam-Webster’s adjective entry means boiling or agitated rather than angry, and Oxford has no adjective entry at all. Three candidates were dropped from this page for exactly that, and this one is kept because the verb sense is what every reader means by it – so it is quieter than furious, not louder. |
| angry | feeling strong displeasure and hostility |
| irate | very angry, and showing it |
| incensed | made very angry by something offensive |
| furious | extremely angry |
| livid | furiously angry |
| apoplectic | extremely enraged — Worth knowing: Merriam-Webster’s first sense is the medical one about strokes, and MW itself notes that use is now generally considered dated. |
Fear, worry and unease
From a vague sense that something is wrong to being unable to move. Petrified belongs at the bottom of this list, not the middle: Oxford’s synonym for it is terrified.
| Adjective | What it means |
|---|---|
| uneasy | faintly anxious, without being able to say why |
| apprehensive | worried that something unpleasant is coming |
| worried | anxious because you think something bad has happened or may happen |
| nervous | anxious and unable to relax, especially before an event |
| anxious | feeling worry or nervousness about what may happen |
| tense | nervous or worried, and unable to relax |
| edgy | nervous and quick to react (informal) |
| jittery | nervous to the point of trembling (informal) |
| skittish | easily frightened and hard to settle — Worth knowing: This placement follows Merriam-Webster. Oxford’s sense for people is different – not serious, and always changing their mind – so the word is less reliably a fear word than it looks. |
| alarmed | anxious or frightened that something bad may happen |
| afraid | frightened, or worried about a possible outcome |
| fearful | full of fear about what may happen |
| terrified | extremely frightened |
| petrified | so frightened as to be unable to move or think — Worth knowing: Oxford leads with this sense; Merriam-Webster leads with turned to stone and makes fear its second. Top of the scale in both, not the middle. |
Shame, guilt and regret
Two ladders in one section. Sheepish to mortified is embarrassment; guilty to penitent is having done something wrong. Rueful is much milder than it sounds, and belongs with the first.
| Adjective | What it means |
|---|---|
| self-conscious | uncomfortably aware of being watched |
| sheepish | mildly embarrassed at having done something silly — Worth knowing: Merriam-Webster’s first sense is sheep-like – meek, timid, stupid – and the embarrassment sense is its second. |
| rueful | showing that you are sorry, usually in a resigned and half-amused way — Worth knowing: Milder than it sounds, and Merriam-Webster’s first sense is not about the person feeling it but about a thing that excites pity. |
| abashed | made uncomfortable and embarrassed by what has happened (not before a noun) |
| embarrassed | made to feel awkward or self-conscious in front of other people |
| guilty | conscious of having done wrong |
| ashamed | feeling shame or guilt over something you did |
| remorseful | deeply regretful for something you have done |
| contrite | very sorry for something bad you have done (formal) |
| penitent | feeling regretful sorrow for an offence, and showing it |
| humiliated | stripped of dignity, and made to feel foolish in public |
| mortified | feeling or showing strong shame or embarrassment — Worth knowing: Oxford has no entry for it, so this rests on Merriam-Webster alone. It is top of the embarrassment scale, not the middle. |
Surprise, confusion and being at a loss
Two different things that share a section because writers reach for them together. Surprise runs from surprised to gobsmacked; confusion runs from puzzled to bewildered. Nonplussed belongs to the second and is discussed below.
| Adjective | What it means |
|---|---|
| surprised | feeling mild shock at something unexpected |
| puzzled | unable to understand something and thinking about it |
| confused | unable to think clearly or understand what is happening |
| muddled | confused, with things mixed up in the mind (especially British) |
| perplexed | puzzled and unable to see a way through |
| baffled | completely unable to understand |
| bewildered | confused and unsure what to do |
| disoriented | having lost your sense of where or when you are |
| nonplussed | so surprised and confused that you do not know what to say — Worth knowing: Merriam-Webster also records a chiefly US sense meaning unbothered, and says in a note that it is widely regarded as an error. Oxford does not record it at all. |
| ambivalent | holding two opposite feelings about the same thing at once — Worth knowing: Not the same as ambiguous, which is about a thing having more than one possible meaning. |
| conflicted | unable to choose because your feelings pull in opposite directions |
| astonished | greatly surprised |
| amazed | filled with wonder at something unexpected |
| astounded | shocked into disbelief |
| stunned | so shocked as to be unable to react |
| dumbfounded | struck silent by surprise — Worth knowing: Merriam-Webster has no adjective entry; it survives on Oxford alone. |
| flabbergasted | utterly astonished (informal) |
| gobsmacked | so surprised that you cannot speak (British, informal) |
Calm, and coming to the end of your resources
The section pairs opposites on purpose, because they are the same axis. Calm at one end, and at the other the vocabulary of having nothing left — which is not sadness, and is worth keeping separate from it.
| Adjective | What it means |
|---|---|
| unruffled | poised and serene in the face of setbacks |
| collected | self-possessed, and thinking clearly |
| composed | in control of your feelings, especially under pressure |
| relaxed | free of tension and anxiety |
| calm | not agitated, and not showing strong feeling |
| placid | not easily upset or excited |
| serene | untroubled and clear in mind |
| tranquil | quiet and free of disturbance |
| restless | unable to settle or stay still |
| agitated | visibly disturbed and unable to stay calm |
| frazzled | worn out and easily annoyed (informal) |
| overwhelmed | completely overcome by a thought or a feeling — Worth knowing: Oxford has no entry, and Merriam-Webster’s first sense is being overcome by force or numbers rather than by feeling. |
| weary | tired, and tired of the thing as well |
| drained | very tired and with nothing left to give (not usually before a noun) — Worth knowing: Merriam-Webster has no adjective entry; it survives on Oxford alone. |
| listless | without energy or the will to do anything |
| lethargic | sluggish and short of energy |
| jaded | tired and bored from having had too much of something — Worth knowing: Not bitterness. Both dictionaries put it next to weary rather than next to disillusioned. |
| apathetic | showing no interest or concern at all — Worth knowing: Filed here because it belongs to the same axis, not because it is a kind of calm. Not caring is also a recognised sign of illness, so read it carefully when it describes a person rather than a mood. |
| numb | unable to think, feel or react normally after a shock — Worth knowing: This is the absence of a reaction rather than the peak of one – Merriam-Webster’s gloss ends in indifferent. It is not the far end of a sadness scale. |
Warmth, attachment and longing
Feeling toward someone rather than about something. Besotted is stronger than smitten and carries a judgement with it, where Oxford marks smitten especially humorous.
| Adjective | What it means |
|---|---|
| fond | having warm feelings for someone you have known a long time |
| affectionate | showing warmth and fondness openly |
| tender | gentle and caring toward someone |
| adoring | showing deep love and admiration |
| devoted | loyally and lastingly attached |
| smitten | suddenly feeling that you are in love (especially humorous; not usually before a noun) |
| besotted | so much in love that you stop behaving sensibly — Worth knowing: Stronger than smitten and carrying a judgement with it, where Oxford marks smitten especially humorous. |
| grateful | thankful for something someone has done |
| relieved | no longer worried, because something unpleasant has stopped or did not happen |
| hopeful | expecting that something good will happen |
| proud | pleased at something you or someone close has done |
| nostalgic | fondly longing for a time now past |
| homesick | sad from being away from home |
| lonely | unhappy at being without company |
| vulnerable | open to being hurt, physically or emotionally |
| envious | wanting what someone else has |
| jealous | resentful at the thought of losing someone to a rival |
Positive and negative at a glance
Sorting by job rather than by tone means compliments and criticisms sit side by side above. Here a selection of them is separated into three columns, using words already defined on this page — and the third column is the interesting one.
| Clearly positive | Clearly negative | Depends on the sentence |
|---|---|---|
| adoring, affectionate, blissful, calm, cheerful, collected, composed, content, delighted, devoted, ecstatic, elated, euphoric, exuberant | afraid, alarmed, angry, anguished, annoyed, anxious, apoplectic, apprehensive, ashamed, crestfallen, cross, dejected, despondent, disconsolate | abashed, agitated, amazed, ambivalent, apathetic, astonished, astounded, baffled, bereft, besotted, bewildered, brassed off, brooding, conflicted |
The third column is the honest one. Ambivalent and conflicted are the clearest cases: holding two feelings at once is a state rather than a verdict, and the sentence around the word decides how it reads. The columns show the first fourteen of each group, so several more of each sit in the tables above.
Using them in a sentence
- She was annoyed at four o’clock, exasperated by six and frankly livid by the time he called.
- He looked sheepish rather than contrite, which was the whole problem.
- The room went quiet and everyone in it was seething, which is not at all the same as shouting.
- She was not sad exactly, but numb, and that lasted longer.
- He arrived apprehensive, spent an hour jittery, and left relieved.
- There is a particular kind of evening that leaves you wistful without making you sad.
Words people get wrong
| Pair | The difference that matters |
|---|---|
| nonplussed / unfazed | The word most often got wrong, and the record is more interesting than the argument about it. Both dictionaries give the same first sense: so surprised and confused that you do not know what to say. Merriam-Webster then records a second sense meaning the opposite — unbothered, unimpressed — marks it chiefly US, and prints a note saying it arose from confusion over the word in ambiguous contexts and continues to be widely regarded as an error. Oxford does not record that sense at all. So the safe reading is the first one, and if you mean unfazed, write unfazed. |
| ambivalent / ambiguous | Ambivalent is about a person: holding two opposite feelings toward the same thing at once. Ambiguous is about a thing: having more than one possible interpretation. Merriam-Webster ends its note on the first by warning against exactly this substitution. A person is ambivalent; a sentence is ambiguous. |
| jaded / disillusioned | Both describe something worn away, and they are not the same something. Jaded is tired and bored from having had too much of a thing — the dictionaries put it next to weary. Disillusioned is having discovered that something you admired was not what it seemed. One is a surfeit, the other a revelation, and a reader who meets jaded where you meant disillusioned will think you meant merely bored. |
| bereft / heartbroken | Heartbroken can attach to any grief or disappointment. Bereft has a first sense that gets in the way: in both dictionaries it means simply being without something — bereft of ideas — and the sadness sense comes second, tied specifically to having lost someone. Unless the loss is clear in the sentence, a reader will take the first sense. |
| gutted / brassed off | Two British informal words that a reader outside Britain will misjudge in opposite directions. Gutted means extremely sad or disappointed — Merriam-Webster has no entry for it at all, so there is nothing for an American reader to check, and it reads far milder than it is. Brassed off sounds vehement and simply means annoyed. If you write for both sides of the Atlantic, neither is safe. |
Related guides
- Adjectives for fear — the fourth family here, treated at length.
- Adjectives for feelings — a wider net, taking in physical sensation as well.
- Adjectives for love — where the last family on this page is a subject of its own.
- Adjectives for happy — the first family here, treated at length.
- Adjectives for sad — the largest family here, likewise.
- Adjectives for angry — where the gradient in this page’s third section is set out in full.
Checked against Merriam-Webster, the Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook. Spotted an error? Tell us — see our editorial policy.
