A Feeling Word List

By KSU Counseling Services Staff

Preview Points

Expressing emotions is a helpful way to relieve a sense of tension.
Communicating one's ideas to others can be cathartic and pro-social.
This list offers ideas for various words to use to express emotions.

Contents
EXCITED: alive, animated, charged, delirious, eager, discomforted, great, intoxicated, roused, stimulated, stirred, thrilled, titillated, rocked, tickled, triumphant, wild, spirited

SURPRISED: amazed, astonished, astounded, awed, bewildered, energized, dumbfounded, flabbergasted, floored, jarred, jolted, nonplussed, overcome, incredible, shaken, shocked, speechless, staggered, startled, stunned, stupefied, thunderstruck

HAPPY: blissful, captivated, cheerful, ecstatic, elated, dazed, excellent, exuberant, fantastic, grand, great, heavenly, pleasant, jolly, joyful, lively, magnificent, special, splendid, super, terrific, wonderful

SATISIFED: agreeable, appeased, assuaged, charmed, contented, enraptured, enchanted, enjoyment, fulfilled, glad, good, gratified, nice, pleased, pleasurable, sated, satiated, overflowing

ANGRY aggravated, antipathy, annoyed, bitter, bristle, delighted, chafed, crabby, cranky, displeased, enraged, frustrated, fuming, furious, hateful, hostile, indignant, inflamed, infuriated, uncomfortable, irate, irked, livid, mad, outraged, peeved, perturbed, piqued, rankled, resentful, riled, sore, steamed, ticked off, worked up

DISGUSTED: abhorred, abominated, averse, degraded, demoralized, bugged, evil, gross, horrified, nauseated, noxious, offended, repelled, repugnant, repulsed, revolted, revulsion, rotten, sickened, vile, wicked

ASHAMED: Blameworthy, chagrined, condemnable, contrite, criminal, dismayed, delinquent, derelict, dishonest, guilty, humiliated, mortified, regretful, remorse, repentant, reprehensible, shame, sheepish, sinful, worthless

EMBARRASSED: abashed, awkward, demeaned, discomfited, disconcerted, deceitful, dumb, flustered, foolish, meek, put down, rattled, red-faced, self-conscious, scapegoated, shy, silly, stupid, withdrawn

DISTRESSED: afflicted, agony, anguish, annoyed, bad, bothered, concerned, crushed, discomfort, distraught, galled, hurt, ill-at-ease, indisposed, injured, miserable, pained, sick, suffering, tormented, troubled, upset

FRIGHTENED: afraid, aghast, alarmed, apprehensive, cautious, dread, fear, fearful, frantic, hesitant, intimidated, panicky, petrified, scared, shaky, spooked, startled, terrified, threatened, trepidation, stressed

ANXIOUS: agitated, baffled, blocked, careful, confounded, deferred, disorganized, distracted, disturbed, edgy, flighty, hassled, hindered, inhibited, jittery, muddled, nervous, overwhelmed, perplexed, restless, woe, tangled, tense, uncertain, uneasy, uptight, vigilant, worried

SAD: awful, bummed out, despair, devastated, disconsolate, doleful, down, gloomy, grieved, low, melancholy, miserable, mournful, pitiful, shattered, somber, sorrowful, sorry, sullen, unhappy, begone

APPRECIATIVE: admire, adore, apprize, cherish, esteem, grateful, prize, regard, relish, respect, revere, thankful, treasure, value

AFFECTIONATE: affectionate, attached, attracted, close, committed, devoted, enamored, endeared, fond, infatuated, like, love, rapture, respect, sentimental, sincere, tenderness, warm

RELIEVED: allayed, at ease, comforted, consoled, freed, helped, refreshed, rested, solaced, soothed, unburdened

CALM: bland, collected, composed, controlled, cool, lulled, mellow, pacified, patient, peaceful, quiescent, quiet, relaxed, reposed, restful, sedated, serene, soothed, staid, still, undisturbed, unruffled

Concluding Points

Expanding a vocabulary and greater awareness of one's emotional state of being may be helpful for people in handling their emotions and emotional states.
It also helps to express emotions with other people as part of a closer relationship.

References

Carkhuff, R.A. (1983) The Art of Helping. Amherst: Human Resource Development Press, Inc.