Vocabulary · Everyday life
Emotions in English
A1
Emotions in English: positive and negative feelings, strong emotions like surprise and fear, and how to say how you feel with be and feel. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
Positive emotions
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| happy(adj.)“I am happy today.” | feeling good and full of joy | /ˈhæpi/ |
| glad(adj.) | pleased about something | /ɡlæd/ |
| excited(adj.) | very happy about something that will happen | /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/ |
| proud(adj.) | pleased with what you or others did | /praʊd/ |
| grateful(adj.) | thankful for something good | /ˈɡreɪtfʊl/ |
| cheerful(adj.) | happy and smiling | /ˈtʃɪəfʊl/ |
Negative emotions
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| sad(adj.) | unhappy, feeling like crying | /sæd/ |
| angry(adj.) | very annoyed, ready to shout | /ˈæŋɡri/ |
| upset(adj.) | unhappy because something bad happened | /ʌpˈset/ |
| worried(adj.) | thinking about problems, not calm | /ˈwʌrid/ |
| jealous(adj.) | wanting what someone else has | /ˈdʒeləs/ |
| disappointed(adj.) | sad because things were not as hoped | /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/ |
| lonely(adj.) | sad because you are alone | /ˈləʊnli/ |
Strong emotions
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| scared / afraid(adj.) | full of fear | /skeəd/ |
| surprised(adj.) | feeling that something was not expected | /səˈpraɪzd/ |
| shocked(adj.) | very surprised by something bad | /ʃɒkt/ |
| amazed(adj.) | very surprised in a good way | /əˈmeɪzd/ |
| confused(adj.) | not able to understand | /kənˈfjuːzd/ |
| embarrassed(adj.) | feeling silly in front of others | /ɪmˈbærəst/ |
Verbs and structures
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| to feel(v.) | to have an emotion | /fiːl/ |
| to be(v.) | the main verb for states and emotions | /biː/ |
| feeling(n.) | an emotion, like joy or fear | /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ |
| mood(n.) | how you feel at a moment | /muːd/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
I have happy ❌: use be
In English, emotions go with be: I am happy, I am sad. I have happy and I have happiness are wrong. You can also use feel: I feel happy.
I am boring ❌ (when you mean bored)
I am bored = I feel no interest (it is how you feel). This is boring = it makes people feel bored (it is the cause). It is the same with excited / exciting and interested / interesting.
Practice quiz
Related pages: Emotions
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Going further
The “Emotions” topic is part of the contest vocabulary
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Practise on PLAYEmotions: learn these words for good
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Frequently asked questions
How do you talk about your feelings in English?+
Use be + adjective: I am happy, I am sad, I am angry. Or use feel + adjective: I feel tired, I feel excited. You do not need myself: say I feel sad, not I feel myself sad.
What is the difference between bored and boring?+
Bored describes how you feel: I am bored (I have nothing interesting to do). Boring describes what makes you feel that way: This film is boring. So I am bored and I am boring are very different! It is a very common mistake.
Is it scared or afraid?+
Both are correct and mean the same: I'm scared of dogs or I'm afraid of dogs. Scared is more common when you speak and sounds more emotional. Afraid is more neutral and a little more formal. Note: afraid never goes before a noun, so say a scared child, not an afraid child.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/vocabulary/emotions
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.