Emotion Vocabulary and Definitions
Our interactive emotion wheel includes 51 carefully curated emotions across three categories: positive emotions, challenging emotions, and obscure emotional vocabulary. Each emotion includes a clear definition to help expand your emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
Positive Emotions
Joyful
Feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph
Grateful
Feeling or showing appreciation for something done or received
Serene
Calm, peaceful, and untroubled; tranquil
Interested
Showing curiosity or concern about something or someone
Hopeful
Feeling or inspiring optimism about a future event
Amused
Finding something funny or entertaining
Inspired
Feeling motivated or encouraged to do or feel something
In Awe
Filled with wonder, reverence, or admiration
Elevated
Raised to a higher level; uplifted in spirit or mood
Satisfied
Pleased and content with what has been achieved
Relieved
No longer feeling distressed or anxious; reassured
Surprised
Feeling or showing surprise at something unexpected
Confident
Feeling or showing certainty about one's abilities or qualities
Enthusiastic
Having or showing intense and eager enjoyment or interest
Eager
Wanting to do or have something very much; keen or impatient
Happy
Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment
Optimistic
Hopeful and confident about the future
Challenging Emotions
Sad
Feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy
Gloomy
Feeling distressed or pessimistic; dark or depressing
Hopeless
Feeling or causing despair about something
Disappointed
Sad or displeased because expectations were not fulfilled
Unhappy
Not happy; sad or miserable
Lost
Feeling confused, uncertain, or without direction
Overwhelmed
Feeling completely overcome by thoughts, feelings, or circumstances
Worried
Feeling anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems
Doubtful
Feeling uncertain about something; not knowing what to believe
Nervous
Feeling anxious, apprehensive, or worried about something
Anxious
Feeling worried, uneasy, or nervous about something uncertain
Confused
Unable to think clearly; bewildered or perplexed
Frustrated
Feeling angry or annoyed as a result of being unable to achieve something
Peeved
Feeling annoyed or irritated by something minor
Uncomfortable
Feeling slight pain, unease, or awkwardness
Withdrawn
Showing a tendency to avoid contact with others; reserved
Disapproving
Having or expressing an unfavorable opinion about something
Obscure Emotional Vocabulary
Desiderium
An ardent desire or longing; a yearning for something lost
Compunctious
Feeling or showing remorse or regret; having a guilty conscience
Alexithymia
Difficulty in experiencing, expressing, or describing emotions
Leucocholy
A state of feeling melancholic or sad without apparent cause
Trepidatious
Feeling fearful, anxious, or uncertain about something
Compathy
Receiving and understanding someone else's suffering as if it were your own
All-overish
Feeling generally unwell or out of sorts; vaguely uncomfortable
Callosity
Emotional hardness or insensitivity; lack of feeling
Altschmerz
Weariness with the same old issues that have always existed
Occhiolism
The awareness of the smallness of your perspective in the vast world
Ambedo
A kind of melancholic trance in which you absorb your surroundings
Nodus Tollens
The realization that the plot of your life doesn't make sense anymore
Liberosis
The desire to care less about things; to be more relaxed
Kairosclerosis
The moment you realize you're currently happy and consciously try to savor it
Pâro
The feeling that no matter what you do is always somehow wrong
Adronitis
Frustration with how long it takes to get to know someone deeply
Catoptric Tristesse
The sadness of looking at yourself in the mirror
How to Use the Emotion Wheel
The Wheel of Feels is an interactive tool designed to help you identify and explore your emotions. Simply spin the wheel to discover different emotion words and their meanings. This can help you:
- Expand your emotional vocabulary
- Better understand your current feelings
- Improve emotional intelligence and self-awareness
- Enhance communication about your emotional state
- Support personal growth and emotional regulation