mood
HighNeutral to formal; widely used across all registers.
Definition
Meaning
A temporary emotional or psychological state of mind, atmosphere, or feeling.
In grammar, a category that expresses the speaker's attitude toward the action (e.g., indicative, subjunctive, imperative).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers to internal emotional states ('He's in a bad mood') and external atmospheric qualities ('The mood of the room was sombre'). The grammatical sense is distinct and technical.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in core meaning. Grammatical term 'mood' is standard in both.
Connotations
Identical.
Frequency
Equally frequent and used in identical ways.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be in a [adjective] moodthe mood of the [noun]a mood to [verb]put someone in a [adjective] moodVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “in the mood for something”
- “mood lighting”
- “as black as one's mood”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to describe team morale or market sentiment (e.g., 'The mood among investors is cautious').
Academic
Used in psychology, literature, and linguistics (grammatical mood).
Everyday
Very common to describe personal feelings or the atmosphere of a place or event.
Technical
In grammar, a distinct category of verb inflection (e.g., subjunctive mood).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He's been mooding about all day since the football result.
American English
- She's just mooding because her team lost.
adverb
British English
- He stared moodily out of the window.
American English
- She walked away moodily.
adjective
British English
- He's so moody lately.
American English
- Don't be so moody.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- She is in a happy mood today.
- The good weather put me in a good mood.
- I'm not really in the mood to go out tonight.
- The mood at the party was very lively.
- His abrupt change of mood was puzzling to his colleagues.
- The film perfectly captured the mood of anxiety in the post-war era.
- The imperative mood is used for giving commands or making requests.
- Despite the celebratory occasion, a palpable mood of apprehension pervaded the gathering.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
MOOD rhymes with FOOD; what you eat can affect your MOOD.
Conceptual Metaphor
MOOD IS WEATHER (e.g., 'stormy mood', 'sunny disposition', 'cloud over').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing 'mood' (настроение) with 'mode' or 'fashion' (мода).
- The grammatical term 'mood' is 'наклонение', not 'настроение'.
- The phrase 'to be in the mood for...' often corresponds to 'быть расположенным к...' or 'хотеться...'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'mood' to mean a long-term personality trait (use 'temperament').
- Confusing 'mood' with 'mode' (e.g., 'a mode of transport' vs 'a mood of celebration').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'mood' used as a technical grammatical term?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
An emotion (e.g., joy, anger) is a specific, often intense feeling, while a mood is a more general, longer-lasting, and less specific state (e.g., a grumpy mood, a reflective mood).
Informally, 'to mood' (or more commonly 'to mood about') can mean to act in a sulky or brooding manner, but it's non-standard. The standard adjective is 'moody'.
It refers to lighting that is dim or soft, used to create a particular relaxed or intimate atmosphere, not for practical illumination.
Yes. 'I'm in a mood' (often 'a bad mood') means you are irritable or unhappy. 'I'm in the mood for pizza' means you have a desire or inclination for pizza.
Collections
Part of a collection
Emotions and Feelings
A2 · 33 words · Words to describe how you feel.