Emotions & Reactions
Name mixed and intense feelings precisely, distinguish an emotional state from its outward expression, and describe how people contain, recover from or express a reaction.
Unease and mixed feelings
worried that something unpleasant may happen
Common use: apprehensive about a meeting / change; apprehensive at the prospect
She felt apprehensive about returning to the choir after such a long absence.
having conflicting feelings or attitudes towards the same thing
Common use: ambivalent about / towards something
He was ambivalent about the promotion: the work appealed to him, but the loss of free time did not.
unsettled or confused by something unexpected
Common use: disconcerted by a remark; feel disconcerted
The interviewer looked disconcerted when the candidate began asking the questions.
feeling bitterness at treatment regarded as unfair
Common use: resentful of someone’s advantage; resentful about a decision
She grew resentful of always being expected to host the family gatherings.
disappointed after losing a previously favourable belief or expectation
Common use: disillusioned with a leader / institution / career
He became disillusioned with the club after discovering how it selected its prizewinners.
a feeling of worry, discomfort or uncertainty
Common use: a sense of unease; unease about something
There was a growing sense of unease as the last train time approached.
- Apprehensive looks towards a feared possibility. Disconcerted often reacts to an unexpected event that has already unsettled the person.
- Ambivalent contains conflicting attitudes; it does not simply mean indifferent. Unease is discomfort that may be less clearly differentiated.
- Resentful centres on perceived unfairness. Disillusioned centres on a favourable belief being lost; the experiences can overlap without being identical.
Intensity and emotional impact
very happy and excited, often because of success or good news
Common use: elated at / by the news; feel elated
The dancers were elated when they learnt that their performance would be repeated.
intensely excited and energised by an experience
Common use: exhilarated by a challenge / experience
We felt exhilarated after sailing through the strong wind into the open bay.
affected so strongly that it is difficult to respond or cope; can be positive or negative
Common use: overwhelmed by support / demands; overwhelmed with emotion
She was overwhelmed by the number of strangers who offered to help.
extremely upset or shocked by a loss or deeply disappointing event
Common use: devastated by a loss; feel devastated
He was devastated to learn that the only recording of his mother’s voice had been erased.
extremely embarrassed or ashamed in a social situation
Common use: mortified at / by a mistake; absolutely mortified
I was mortified when I realised I had introduced the guest by the wrong name.
angry because something is considered unfair, insulting or improper
Common use: indignant at / about something; an indignant response
The volunteers were indignant at the suggestion that they had worked only for free tickets.
- Elated often highlights joy at an outcome; exhilarated foregrounds energising excitement from an experience. Contexts can overlap.
- Overwhelmed does not prescribe one emotion: affection, gratitude, fear or excessive demands can all overwhelm. Devastated is strongly negative in the emotional sense.
- Mortified concerns intense embarrassment. Indignant concerns perceived injustice or insult, not merely the strength of any anger.
Composure and recovery
a calm, controlled outward manner, especially under pressure
Common use: keep / regain / lose one’s composure
Her composure during the protest impressed even those who opposed her.
prevent an emotion, conflict or problem from being expressed or increasing; informal
Common use: keep a lid on anger / frustration / tensions
Negotiators hoped to keep a lid on tension while the disputed figures were checked.
deal calmly with an event without becoming unduly upset
Common use: take criticism in stride (especially US); take criticism in one’s stride (especially UK)
She took the change of venue in stride and sent everyone a new map.
gradually accept and adjust to a difficult reality
Common use: come to terms with a loss / change / limitation
It took him time to come to terms with the fact that the old shop would not reopen.
recover stability or confidence after disruption; also literal
Common use: regain her footing after a setback
After a bewildering first term, she regained her footing by joining a small study group.
release strong feelings through activity or expression; informal
Common use: let off steam after work; need to let off steam
He lets off steam by singing loudly while he does the washing-up.
- Composure concerns controlled manner, not absence of emotion. Keep a lid on emphasises containment; let off steam emphasises release.
- Take something in stride describes a calm response to difficulty. Come to terms with often involves a longer adjustment to an unwelcome reality.
- Regain one’s footing describes restored stability after disruption. It does not by itself imply agreement with, or approval of, what happened.
Expression, triggers and lingering feelings
express strong negative feelings openly
Common use: vent frustration / anger; vent to someone
He vented his frustration in a message he wisely left unsent.
keep feelings inside instead of expressing them
Common use: bottle up anger / anxiety / emotions
She had bottled up her worry until a friend asked directly what was wrong.
react with sudden verbal or physical aggression
Common use: lash out at someone; lash out in anger
Embarrassed by the correction, he lashed out at the person trying to help.
evoke recognition, sympathy or an emotional response
Common use: strike a chord with an audience / reader
The song’s account of leaving home struck a chord with many listeners.
remain longer than expected or after the main event has ended
Common use: doubts / memories / feelings linger; linger in the mind
The embarrassment lingered long after the conversation had moved on.
combining pleasure with sadness
Common use: a bittersweet memory / farewell / victory
Winning the award her late mentor had predicted was a bittersweet triumph.
- Vent foregrounds expression; lash out adds sudden aggression towards a target. Venting does not necessarily mean attacking another person.
- Bottle up keeps feelings unexpressed. Linger concerns how long a feeling remains, not whether it is expressed.
- Strike a chord evokes recognition or feeling without requiring agreement. Bittersweet specifies a mix of pleasure and sadness, rather than any two conflicting attitudes.