Emotional Vocabulary
by Michele Borba, Ed.D.
In order for kids to read the feelings of others, they must have an adequate emotional vocabulary. To
enhance your child's emotional intelligence, teach him the feeling words in the list that follows. Consider
using a different feeling word each day or a new word each week.
A
afraid
agitated
alarmed
angry
antsy
anxious
apprehensive ashamed
awful
awkward
B
bashful
bewildered
bitter
bored
brave
C
calm
caring
cautious
cheerful
comfortable
concerned
confident
confused
content
critical
cross
curious
cynical
D
depressed delighted
disappointed
discouraged disgusted
distressed
disturbed
down
E
eager
edgy
embarrassed
encouraged
enraged
enthused
exasperated
excited
exhausted
F
fatigued
fearful
fidgety
frightened
frustrated
funny
furious
G
gloomy
greedy
grouchy
guilty
H
happy
hassled
hateful
helpless
hesitant
hopeful
horrible
hostile
hurt
hysterical
I
impatient
indifferent
inferior
insecure
intense
irate
irked
irritated
J
jealous
jittery
joyous
L
lazy
leery
lonely
loved
loving
M
mad
mean
mischievous
miserable
moody
N
nervous
nice
numb
0
overwhelmed
P
panicky
patient
pessimistic
pleased
proud
puzzled
Q
queasy
R
rejected
reluctant
resentful
restless
ridiculous
riled
rushed
S
sad
safe
scared
secure
sensitive
shaky
shocked
shy
silly
sleepy
sorry
stressed
surprised
suspicious
sympathetic
T
terrified
tired
troubled
U
uncomfortable
unsafe unsettled
upset
V
vicious
victorious
W
warm
weary
wonderful
worried
X
excited
exhausted
Y
yucky
Z
Zany
Feelings and Emotions Vocabulary Word List More on Feelings and Emotions
More Word Banks
A
acceptance
admiration
adoration
affection
afraid
agitation
aggressive
aggravation
agony
alarm
alienation
amazement
amusement
anger
angry
anguish
annoyance
anticipation
anxiety
apprehension
assured
astonishment
attachment
attraction
awe
B
bewitched
bitterness
bliss
blue
boredom
C
calculating
calm
capricious
caring
cautious
charmed
cheerful
closeness
compassion
composed
contempt
concerned
contentment
crabby
crazed
crazy
cross
cruel
D
defeat
defiance
delighted
dependence
depressed
desire
disappointment
disapproval
discontent
disenchanted
disgust
disillusioned
dislike
dismay
displeasure
dissatisfied
distraction
distress
disturbed
dread
E
eager
earnest
easy-going
ecstasy
ecstatic
elation
embarrassment
emotion
emotional
enamored
enchanted
enjoyment
enraged
enraptured
enthralled
enthusiasm
envious
envy
equanimity
euphoria
exasperation
excited
exhausted
extroverted
exuberant
F
fascinated
fear
fearful
ferocity
fondness
fright
frightened
frustration
furious
fury
G
generous
glad
gloomy
glum
greedy
grief
grim
grouchy
grumpy
guilt
H
happiness
happy
homesick
hopeless
horror
hostility
humiliation
hurt
hysteria
I
infatuated
insecurity
insulted
interested
introverted
irritation
isolation
J
jaded
jealous
jittery
jolliness
jolly
joviality
jubilation
joy
K
keen
kind
kindhearted
kindly
L
laid back
lazy
like
liking
loathing
lonely
longing
loneliness
love
lulled
lust
M
mad
misery
modesty
mortification
N
naughty
neediness
neglected
nervous
nirvana
O
open
optimism
ornery
outgoing
outrage
P
panic
passion
peaceful
pensive
pessimism
pity
placid
pleased
pride
pushy
Q
quarrelsome
queasy
querulous
quick-witted
quiet
quirky
R
rage
rapture
rejection
relief
relieved
remorse
repentance
resentment
revulsion
roused
S
sad
sadness
sarcastic
sardonic
satisfaction
scared
scorn
self-assured
sentimentality
serenity
shame
shock
sorrow
sorry
spellbound
spite
stingy
submission
suffering
surprise
sympathy
T
tenderness
tense
terror
threatening
thrill
timidity
torment
tranquil
triumph
trust
U
uncomfortable
unhappiness
unhappy
upset
V
vain
vanity
venal
vengeful
vigilance
vivacious
W
wary
watchfulness
weariness
weary
woe
wonder
worried
wrathful
Z
zeal
zest
