Feelings and emotions – B2 English Vocabulary

Feelings and emotions

In this pre-advanced vocabulary lesson, you will learn many adjectives we can use to describe the way we feel, from happy to sad and everything in between. Check the following pictures and read the definitions and examples to understand what each term means and in which situations it could be used.

Positive and negative emotions

Positive emotions

When you feel 1 joyful, you’re happy, perhaps because you’ve heard some good news.

• She felt joyful when she received the unexpected gift from her friend.

When you’re 2 excited, you’re happy because you’ re looking forward to something that is going to happen in the future.

• The children were excited about their upcoming trip to Disneyland.

If you’re 3 content, you’re not extremely happy, but you feel quite satisfied.

• After a satisfying meal, he went back to work, feeling content.

When you’re 4 grateful, you feel thankful for something you have or that someone has done.

• She was grateful for the support and kindness shown to her during difficult times.

When you’re 5 proud, you feel respect for yourself, often because of something you or someone close to you has achieved.

• He was proud of his daughter’s achievements in school.

If you’re 6 confident, you believe in yourself and are not worried about failure.

• With thorough preparation, she walked into the interview room feeling confident.

When you’re 7 hopeful, you have hope and believe that it is possible for something good to happen.

• Despite the challenges, she remained hopeful that things would improve.

If you’re 8 relieved, you feel pleased because you have avoided a difficult or unpleasant situation.

• After weeks of uncertainty, he was relieved to hear the good news about his health.

Negative emotions

When you’re 9 offended, you feel angry or hurt by something someone has said or done to you.

• She was offended by the rude remark made by her coworker during the meeting.

If you’re 10 anxious, you feel worried or uneasy about something.

• She felt very anxious about giving a presentation, but it went well. 

When you’re 11 frustrated, you feel annoyed because something is not working or happening the way you want it to.

• After hours of trying to assemble the complicated furniture, he grew frustrated.

If you’re 12 disappointed, you’re unhappy because something was not as good as you thought it would be.

• She was disappointed when the concert she had been looking forward to was canceled.

Feeling 13 guilty means that you feel bad for something you did wrong.

• She felt guilty for eating sweets, especially since she had promised herself to stick to a healthy diet.

When you’re 14 nervous, you feel worried about a stressful situation that is going to arise in the future.

• She felt nervous before her job interview, but she prepared thoroughly.

If you’re 15 upset, it means you’re sad because of something that has happened.

• Learning about the earthquake on the news left her feeling upset.

When you’re 16 depressed, you feel unhappy and have little hope.

• After the loss of her pet, she felt depressed for months.

Neutral and intense emotions

Neutral emotions

When you’re 1 calm, you feel relaxed, and are not worried about anything.

• She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm during the stressful meeting.

If you are 2 indifferent, you have no feelings about or interest in something.

• He seemed indifferent to the news, as if it didn’t matter to him at all.

If you’re 3 bored, it means you’re uninterested in what is happening around you.

• The long lecture left him feeling bored and uninterested.

When you’re 4 curious, you want to know more about something.

• Her curious nature led her to explore new places whenever she had the chance.

If you’re 5 tired, you don’t have a lot of energy and may want to sleep.

• After a hard workout at the gym, she was tired and ready to rest.

When you’re 6 relaxed, you feel free because nothing is worrying you.

• The spa day left her feeling completely relaxed and rejuvenated.

7 Puzzled means you’re confused about something that is happening or has happened.

• She furrowed his brow, puzzled by the mysterious message.

8 Neutral means you have no strong preferences or opinions about something.

• She tried to remain neutral and not take sides in the argument.

If you’re 9 reserved, you keep your feelings to yourself.

• He was reserved and didn’t often share his feelings or personal thoughts with others.

When you’re 10 satisfied, you’re pleased because you got what you desired.

• He felt satisfied after completing the challenging report.

Intense emotions

When you’re 11 ecstatic, you feel incredibly happy, usually because something good has happened.

• She was absolutely ecstatic when she received the news that she had been accepted into her dream university.

If you’re 12 furious, you are extremely angry about something.

• She was furious when she discovered that someone had accidentally deleted all of her important work files from the computer.

When you’re 13 terrified, you’re very scared, so something is really frightening you.

• He was terrified of heights, so climbing to the top of the tower was a major challenge.

When you’re 14 exhilarated, something makes you feel thrilled and excited.

• After her first experience jumping out of an airplane, she felt exhilarated and proud of her accomplishment.

15 Devastated means extremely sad, so if you’re feeling this way, something very upsetting has happened.

• Hearing the news of her grandmother’s passing left her devastated and in tears.

If you’re feeling 16 overwhelmed, something has affected you deeply, causing you to feel very emotional.

• Juggling work, school, and family responsibilities, she often felt overwhelmed by the stress.

When you’re 17 desperate, you’ve lost all hope, and are feeling very down.

• With no money and nowhere to go, he felt desperate and reached out to a local shelter for help.

If you’re 18 hysterical, you’re in a state of uncontrolled excitement, anger, or panic.

• When the project deadline was suddenly moved up by a week without previous notice, she became hysterical.

When you’re 19 stunned, you’re too shocked to express any emotion, usually because of bad news.

• After receiving the award, she was too stunned to speak, her mouth hanging open in amazement.

If you’re 20 bewildered, you’re extremely confused, and are unable to understand a situation.

• Lost in the unfamiliar city, she looked around bewildered, trying to find her way back to the hotel.

After completing the exercises in this lesson on Feelings and Emotions, you can use the unit’s Vocabulary Flashcards to revise and help you memorize the terms.