emotion
C1Neutral, used across all registers from casual to formal.
Definition
Meaning
A strong feeling such as joy, anger, fear, or sadness that arises from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.
1) Any state of arousal involving conscious experience (psychology); 2) The aspect of consciousness involved in feeling, distinct from cognition and volition (philosophy); 3) An appeal to audience feelings (rhetoric).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Typically refers to a complex, subjective experience involving physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience. Distinction from 'feeling' (more immediate/subjective) and 'mood' (more diffuse/lasting) is sometimes blurred in general usage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. 'Emote' as a verb is more frequently used in US contexts, often critically (e.g., 'she was emoting').
Connotations
Generally identical. The collocation 'mixed emotions' is slightly more common in British English according to corpus data.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to feel + emotionto be filled with + emotionto show + emotionto be overcome by + emotiona surge of + emotiona range of + emotionsVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “run high (emotions run high)”
- “get carried away by emotion”
- “a whirlwind of emotions”
- “bare one's emotions”
- “choke with emotion”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in contexts like 'emotional intelligence', 'customer emotions', or 'emotional labor'. Often framed as a factor in decision-making or team dynamics.
Academic
A core term in psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and literary studies. Used precisely to denote specific affective states or theoretical constructs.
Everyday
Commonly used to describe personal feelings ('I couldn't hide my emotion') or reactions to events ('the film was full of emotion').
Technical
In psychology: a complex reaction pattern involving experiential, behavioral, and physiological elements (e.g., 'the six basic emotions'). In AI: 'emotion recognition' from voice or facial analysis.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He was clearly emoting during the soliloquy, but it felt forced.
- The actor struggled to emotion genuinely in the quiet scene.
American English
- She tends to emote a lot when telling that story.
- The talk show host encouraged guests to emote freely.
adverb
British English
- She spoke emotionally about her childhood.
- He reacted emotionally to the criticism.
American English
- The singer performed the ballad emotionally.
- They argued emotionally for hours.
adjective
British English
- The charity's advert was highly emotive.
- He gave an emotional speech at the retirement party.
American English
- The debate touched on several emotive issues.
- She was emotional after hearing the news.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I saw a lot of emotion on her face.
- Happy and sad are two emotions.
- The story showed the emotion of love.
- He tried to hide his emotions, but his eyes gave him away.
- The film's ending stirred strong emotions in the audience.
- It's important to talk about your emotions sometimes.
- A complex mix of emotions—pride, anxiety, and hope—welled up inside her.
- Critics praised the pianist's technical skill but felt the performance lacked genuine emotion.
- Managing your emotions in a high-pressure job is a crucial skill.
- Her research delves into the neurobiological correlates of basic human emotions.
- The politician's rhetoric was calculated to bypass rational analysis and appeal directly to voters' emotions.
- Postmodern theorists often deconstruct the concept of emotion as a culturally constructed narrative.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: E-MOTION = Energy in MOTION inside you. It's the internal motion (stirring) caused by events.
Conceptual Metaphor
{"EMOTION IS A FLUID IN A CONTAINER (e.g., 'filled with emotion', 'overflowing with joy').","EMOTION IS A NATURAL FORCE (e.g., 'swept by emotion', 'a wave of grief')."}
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'чувство' (feeling/sense) which is broader and can mean 'physical sense' (e.g., sense of touch) or 'emotion'.
- 'Эмоция' is a direct borrowing and is used similarly, but English 'emotion' is more academic/neutral. Russian might use 'переживание' for deep personal emotion.
- Avoid translating 'эмоциональный' always as 'emotional'; in English 'emotional' can have a negative connotation (e.g., overly emotional).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'emotion' as a countable noun for a single instance is correct (e.g., 'an emotion of joy'), but 'a feeling' is more natural in speech.
- Confusing 'emotional' (related to emotions) with 'emotive' (tending to arouse emotion, e.g., an emotive issue).
- Overusing 'emotions' in plural where a singular abstract concept is meant (e.g., 'She spoke with great emotion' is better than '...with great emotions').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'emotive' a more appropriate choice than 'emotional'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In technical contexts (psychology), an 'emotion' is often seen as a complex, brief, and reactive state with physiological components (e.g., fear, anger). A 'feeling' is the subjective, conscious experience of that emotion. In everyday use, they are largely interchangeable, though 'feeling' is more common and general.
The primary verb is 'to emote' (to express emotion, often theatrically). 'Emotion' itself is almost exclusively a noun. The use of 'emotion' as a verb ('to emotion') is non-standard and very rare.
It can be both. As an uncountable noun, it refers to the general concept ('a voice trembling with emotion'). As a countable noun, it refers to specific instances or types ('the six basic emotions', 'conflicting emotions').
Not exactly. 'Emotional' primarily describes someone who experiences/show emotions easily or something relating to emotions ('an emotional person', 'emotional support'). 'Emotive' describes something (like a word or issue) that tends to *arouse* strong feelings in others ('an emotive topic like immigration').
Collections
Part of a collection
Emotions and Feelings
A2 · 33 words · Words to describe how you feel.
Psychology Basics
B2 · 50 words · Fundamental concepts in human psychology.