List of emotions
Here are 129 emotions in seven families: happy, calm, sad, flat, angry, scared and ashamed. Each family starts broad and gets more exact, and each word has a one-line meaning in plain words. To get a journal prompt for the one that fits, tap through the same words on the feelings wheel.
"I'm stressed" can mean three different things. Swamped is too many tasks. Dreading is one hard thing ahead. Drained is nothing left in the tank, and each of the three points to a different next step: a list, a plan for Thursday, or an early night.
Happy feelings
The lifted, open feelings, from a quiet thank you to the breathless moment under a night sky.
| Feeling | What it means |
|---|---|
| Happy | Feeling good about what is happening, with a lift in mood or energy. |
| Joyful | A bright, full kind of happy that often comes in a moment and fills it. |
| Delighted (joyful) | Pleased by something, often a small surprise that went better than expected. |
| Playful (joyful) | In the mood to joke, tease or try things just for the fun of it. |
| Grateful | Aware that something good came to you, often from someone else, and glad of it. |
| Thankful (grateful) | Wanting to say thank you for a specific thing someone did. |
| Appreciative (grateful) | Noticing the value of something or someone you might usually take for granted. |
| Moved (grateful) | Touched enough by kindness or beauty that you feel it in your chest or eyes. |
| Proud | Feeling good about something you did or someone you care about did. |
| Accomplished (proud) | Satisfied that you finished something that took work. |
| Confident (proud) | Trusting that you can handle what is in front of you. |
| Hopeful | Expecting that something good is possible, even if it is not here yet. |
| Optimistic (hopeful) | Leaning toward expecting things to turn out well. |
| Eager (hopeful) | Keen to start something or for something to happen. |
| In awe | Struck by something vast or beyond what you can easily take in, like a night sky or a great skill. |
| Amazed (in awe) | Surprised by something you did not think was possible. |
| Inspired (in awe) | Wanting to do or make something because of what you saw or heard. |
| Curious (in awe) | Wanting to know more about something or someone. |
Calm feelings
The settled feelings, low in energy and high in ease. Nothing is pulling at you, which is exactly why they're easy to miss.
| Feeling | What it means |
|---|---|
| Calm | Settled and steady, without much pulling at your attention. |
| Content | Quietly satisfied with how things are right now, without needing more. |
| Satisfied (content) | Feeling that something met what you wanted or needed. |
| Comfortable (content) | At home in your body or surroundings, with nothing pressing. |
| At ease (content) | Relaxed with the people or situation around you. |
| Relieved | Lighter because a worry, task or danger has passed. |
| Lighter (relieved) | Less weighed down than before, in mood or in what you have to do. |
| Reassured (relieved) | Less worried because of something you learned or someone said. |
| Safe | Feeling protected and free from threat right now. |
| Secure (safe) | Confident that what matters to you is stable and will hold. |
| Steady (safe) | Balanced and even, not thrown by what is going on. |
| Connected | Feeling close to other people and part of something. |
| Loved (connected) | Feeling cared for and wanted by someone. |
| Accepted (connected) | Welcomed as you are, without needing to change. |
| Close (connected) | Near to someone in a way that feels warm and open. |
| Nostalgic | A warm, often bittersweet longing for a time, place or people from your past. |
| Sentimental (nostalgic) | Tender feelings tied to memories or objects that matter to you. |
| Fond (nostalgic) | Warm affection for someone or something, often from long ago. |
Sad feelings
The heavy feelings that follow a loss, a letdown or a hurt. Lonely and grieving live here, and so does despair, the heaviest of them.
| Feeling | What it means |
|---|---|
| Sad | A low, heavy feeling, often after a loss, a letdown or a hurt. |
| Lonely | Wanting more connection than you have right now. |
| Isolated (lonely) | Cut off from other people, by distance, circumstance or choice. |
| Left out (lonely) | Not included when others were. |
| Homesick (lonely) | Missing home, or a place or people that felt like home. |
| Hurt | Pained by something someone said or did. |
| Rejected (hurt) | Turned away or not chosen by someone. |
| Betrayed (hurt) | Hurt by someone you trusted, who broke that trust. |
| Let down (hurt) | Disappointed because someone did not do what you counted on. |
| Disappointed | Sad that something turned out worse than you hoped or expected. |
| Discouraged (disappointed) | Less willing to keep trying after a setback. |
| Defeated (disappointed) | Feeling beaten by something, as if you have lost. |
| Regretful (disappointed) | Wishing you had made a different choice. |
| Grieving | The ache of losing someone or something you loved. |
| Heartbroken (grieving) | Deep sadness after a loss, often of a person or relationship. |
| Longing (grieving) | Wanting someone or something that is out of reach. |
| Melancholy | A quiet, lingering sadness, often thoughtful and without a clear cause. |
| Wistful (melancholy) | Gently sad and longing, often about what was or what might have been. |
| Gloomy (melancholy) | Low and pessimistic, as if things look darker than usual. |
| Despairing | Feeling that there is no hope that things will get better. |
| Hopeless (despairing) | Unable to see a way for things to improve. |
| Helpless (despairing) | Feeling there is nothing you can do to change what is happening. |
Flat feelings
The feelings of too little: low feeling, low energy, low pull. Many lists file them under sad. From the inside they often feel closer to a dimmer switch turned down than to tears.
| Feeling | What it means |
|---|---|
| Flat | Low in feeling and energy, as if the volume on everything has been turned down. |
| Numb | Feeling little or nothing, even about things that would usually matter to you. |
| Empty (numb) | A hollow feeling, as if something that should be there is missing. |
| Blank (numb) | Unable to find any feeling or words when you look inside. |
| Detached (numb) | Feeling separate from yourself, other people or what is happening. |
| Apathetic | Not caring or wanting to do much, with motivation hard to find. |
| Indifferent (apathetic) | Not minding one way or the other about something. |
| Unmotivated (apathetic) | Wanting to want to, but not being able to get going. |
| Listless (apathetic) | Without energy or interest, drifting through the day. |
| Bored | Wanting to be engaged in something satisfying but not managing it. |
| Uninterested (bored) | Not drawn to what is in front of you. |
| Restless (bored) | Unable to settle, wanting to move or change something. |
| Stuck (bored) | Unable to move forward, as if every option is closed. |
| Drained | Used up, with little energy left for anything. |
| Tired (drained) | Needing rest, in your body, your mind or both. |
| Worn out (drained) | Tired from doing too much for too long. |
| Burned out (drained) | Exhausted and detached after long stress, often from work or caring for others. |
Angry feelings
The hot, charged feelings that something is wrong, unfair or in your way, all the way from a sigh at the printer to fury.
| Feeling | What it means |
|---|---|
| Angry | A hot, charged feeling that something is wrong, unfair or in your way. |
| Frustrated | Annoyed because something is blocking what you are trying to do. |
| Annoyed (frustrated) | Mildly bothered by something or someone. |
| Impatient (frustrated) | Wanting something to happen sooner than it is. |
| Blocked (frustrated) | Stopped from moving forward by something outside your control. |
| Irritable | Easily annoyed, with less patience than usual for small things. |
| On edge (irritable) | Tense and ready to snap or jump at little things. |
| Grumpy (irritable) | In a bad mood, quick to complain. |
| Resentful | Anger that stays, about being treated unfairly or taken for granted. |
| Bitter (resentful) | Sour and angry about something that happened long ago. |
| Wronged (resentful) | Feeling that someone treated you unjustly. |
| Envious | Wanting what someone else has, and feeling worse because they have it. |
| Jealous (envious) | Afraid of losing someone or something you have to another person. |
| Left behind (envious) | Feeling others are moving ahead while you stay where you are. |
| Contemptuous | Looking down on someone as beneath you or not worth respect. |
| Disgusted (contemptuous) | Repelled by something or someone, as if you want to pull away. |
| Scornful (contemptuous) | Openly mocking or dismissive of someone. |
| Furious | Very strong anger that is hard to contain. |
| Enraged (furious) | Overtaken by anger, with little room to think. |
| Hostile (furious) | Ready to fight or push someone away. |
Scared feelings
The feelings of threat, now or ahead. Anxiety, dread and overwhelm sit here, and so does the quieter fear of not being enough.
| Feeling | What it means |
|---|---|
| Scared | Sensing danger or harm, now or soon, and wanting to protect yourself. |
| Anxious | Worried and tense about what might happen, often with a busy mind and a tight body. |
| Worried (anxious) | Thinking over and over about something that could go wrong. |
| Nervous (anxious) | Jittery before something that matters to you. |
| Uneasy (anxious) | A vague sense that something is not quite right. |
| Overwhelmed | Feeling that there is more than you can handle right now. |
| Stressed (overwhelmed) | Under pressure from demands that feel bigger than your time or energy. |
| Swamped (overwhelmed) | Having too many tasks at once to keep up with. |
| Frazzled (overwhelmed) | Scattered and worn thin from too much going on. |
| Dreading | Fearing something specific that you know is coming. |
| Apprehensive (dreading) | Uneasy about something ahead that might go badly. |
| Tense (dreading) | Tight in body and mind, braced for something. |
| Vulnerable | Open to being hurt, because you have shown or risked something that matters. |
| Exposed (vulnerable) | Seen in a way you did not choose or are not ready for. |
| Fragile (vulnerable) | Feeling you could break easily right now. |
| Panicked | A sudden surge of fear, often with a racing heart and a sense you must act now. |
| Terrified (panicked) | Extremely afraid. |
| Frozen (panicked) | So scared that you cannot move, speak or decide. |
| Insecure | Unsure of yourself or your place, and worried you are not enough. |
| Unsure (insecure) | Not knowing what to think or do. |
| Self-doubting (insecure) | Questioning your own judgment or ability. |
Ashamed feelings
The self-conscious feelings, where you're looking at yourself through other people's eyes, or your own harshest ones.
| Feeling | What it means |
|---|---|
| Ashamed | Feeling that you yourself are bad, wrong or not good enough, and wanting to hide. |
| Embarrassed | Uncomfortable after a slip or awkward moment in front of others. |
| Awkward (embarrassed) | Unsure how to act in a moment, as if you don't fit it. |
| Self-conscious (embarrassed) | Very aware of how you look or come across to others. |
| Humiliated (embarrassed) | Made to feel small or foolish in front of others. |
| Guilty | Feeling bad about something you did, or did not do, that affected someone. |
| Remorseful (guilty) | Deeply sorry and wishing you could undo what happened. |
| Sorry (guilty) | Wanting to apologize for something you did. |
| To blame (guilty) | Feeling responsible for something going wrong. |
| Inadequate | Feeling that you are not good enough or not measuring up. |
| Not good enough (inadequate) | Believing you fall short, whatever you do. |
| Inferior (inadequate) | Feeling less than other people. |
| Like a failure (inadequate) | Seeing one setback as proof about who you are. |
How many emotions are there?
It depends on what you're counting. And why.
- 8, in Robert Plutchik's model of basic emotions, arranged as four pairs of opposites.1
- 27, in a 2017 study where people reported their reactions to 2,185 short videos. The researchers found 27 kinds of experience, such as awe, nostalgia and boredom, with smooth blends between many of them.2
- 129, on this list, which is built for a different job: finding the word for how you feel right now.
All three numbers are useful, for different jobs, and none of them settles the question.
Naming it turns the alarm down
Most people can name a handful of feelings: good, bad, stressed, fine. That's a small kit.
Matthew Lieberman's team scanned people while they looked at negative emotional images and either put a feeling word to each one or processed it another way.3 Labeling the feeling, which they called affect labeling, damped the response of the amygdala and other limbic regions, and the one area that grew more active was the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, whose activity ran opposite to the amygdala's.3
A word, in that scanner, worked like a dimmer.
Fine-grained words seem to matter too. People who tell their unpleasant feelings apart in finer detail were less likely to turn to binge drinking or aggression when distressed, a review by Todd Kashdan, Lisa Feldman Barrett and Patrick McKnight found.4 That evidence is correlational, so a list is a starting point and nothing more.
Pick one word from this list that fits today better than "fine" or "stressed". What happened that brought it on?
Answer this with JoyQuestions people ask about emotions
What are 10 examples of negative emotions?
Sad, lonely, hurt, angry, frustrated, resentful, scared, anxious, ashamed and guilty. "Negative" only means unpleasant to feel. Each one carries information: a need that isn't being met, or a line someone crossed.
What are the 27 basic emotions?
The 27 come from one 2017 study by Alan Cowen and Dacher Keltner, and they aren't a fixed list everyone agrees on.2 They include amusement, awe, boredom, confusion, craving and nostalgia, among others, and the study found many of them blending into each other with no sharp edges.2
What is the difference between emotions and feelings?
Some researchers use "emotion" for the whole response, body and mind together. They use "feeling" for the part you're aware of. In everyday speech the two words mean the same thing, and this list uses them that way.
Where did the idea of grouping feelings like this come from?
From the feelings wheel, which Gloria Willcox published in 1982 to help people recognize and talk about their feelings.5 This list follows her idea of moving from broad to exact, with Joyful's own families and words.