HOW MANY EMOTIONS CAN YOU NAME?

Emotions exist across a broad spectrum of intensities, valence (positive/negative), and physiological states.

Here is a categorization of 90 distinct human emotions grouped by their core primary emotional families.

1. Joy & Happiness

  • Ecstasy: Extreme, overwhelming joy.

  • Elation: High-spirited joy from success or good news.

  • Euphoria: Intense feeling of well-being or excitement.

  • Bliss: Serene, peaceful happiness.

  • Delight: Keen pleasure or satisfaction.

  • Jubilance: Expressive, triumphant joy.

  • Glee: Open, lively delight or triumph.

  • Contentment: Peaceful satisfaction with one's current state.

  • Pride: Satisfaction derived from one's own achievements or those of closely associated people.

  • Amusement: Entertainment or lighthearted pleasure.

  • Optimism: Hopefulness and confidence about the future.

  • Gratitude: Deep appreciation and thankfulness.

  • Zest: Energetic enthusiasm.

  • Thrilled: Sudden, intense excitement.

2. Love & Connection

  • Affection: Gentle feeling of liking or fondness.

  • Adoration: Deep love, reverence, and devotion.

  • Tenderness: Gentle, caring warmth toward another.

  • Infatuation: Intense, short-lived passion or admiration.

  • Compassion: Deep awareness of and sympathy for another's suffering.

  • Empathy: Ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

  • Longing: Strong desire or yearning for someone or something.

  • Belonging: Feeling connected and accepted within a group.

  • Devotion: Unwavering loyalty and dedication.

  • Attachment: Emotional bond or connection to a person or object.

3. Fear & Anxiety

  • Apprehension: Anxiety or fear that something bad will happen.

  • Dread: Great fear or apprehension about a future event.

  • Terror: Extreme, overpowering fear.

  • Panic: Sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety.

  • Unease: Vague sense of discomfort or worry.

  • Nervousness: Light fear or worry mixed with agitation.

  • Paranoia: Unreasonable distrust or suspicion of others.

  • Phobia: Irrational, persistent fear of a specific object or situation.

  • Vulnerability: Feeling exposed to potential harm or judgment.

  • Trepidation: Nervous or fearful feeling of agitation.

  • Horror: Intense feeling of fear and disgust.

4. Anger & Hostility

  • Rage: Violent, uncontrollable anger.

  • Fury: Wild or fierce anger.

  • Resentment: Bitterness at having been treated unfairly.

  • Exasperation: Intense irritation or annoyance.

  • Irritation: Slight anger or annoyance.

  • Frustration: Feeling of being upset or annoyed as a result of being unable to change or achieve something.

  • Outrage: Fierce anger aroused by a real or perceived injustice.

  • Hostility: Unfriendly or aggressive behavior and feeling.

  • Contempt: Feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn.

  • Jealousy: Fear of losing a relationship or status to a rival.

  • Envy: Desire for someone else's traits, possessions, or status.

  • Spite: Malicious desire to harm, annoy, or frustrate someone.

5. Sadness & Grief

  • Grief: Deep distress caused by loss, especially death.

  • Sorrow: Feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or misfortune.

  • Melancholy: Feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.

  • Despair: Complete loss or absence of hope.

  • Desolation: Complete emptiness, loneliness, or devastation.

  • Loneliness: Sadness because one has no friends or company.

  • Heartbreak: Overwhelming distress or grief.

  • Dejection: Low spirits caused by loss of hope or courage.

  • Regret: Feeling of sadness or disappointment over something done or left undone.

  • Nostalgia: Wistful affection for the past.

  • Disappointment: Sadness caused by the non-fulfillment of one's hopes or expectations.

  • Pity: Feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortunes of others.

6. Shame & Guilt

  • Guilt: Remorse over a perceived or actual wrongdoing.

  • Shame: Painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.

  • Remorse: Deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed.

  • Humiliation: Feeling of losing one's dignity and self-respect.

  • Embarrassment: Feeling of self-consciousness, awkwardness, or distress.

  • Self-Consciousness: Undue awareness of oneself and one's actions.

  • Mortification: Great embarrassment and shame.

7. Surprise & Awe

  • Awe: Feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.

  • Wonder: Feeling of amazement caused by something beautiful, unexpected, or unfamiliar.

  • Astonishment: Great surprise or amazement.

  • Confusion: Uncertainty or lack of understanding.

  • Bewilderment: State of being completely puzzled or confused.

  • Shock: Sudden upset or surprise.

8. Disgust & Aversion

  • Revulsion: Sudden, intense feeling of disgust.

  • Loathing: Intense dislike or disgust.

  • Repulsion: Strong dislike or aversion.

  • Distaste: Mild dislike or aversion.

  • Abhorrence: Feeling of revulsion or strong hatred.

9. Calm & Quiet States

  • Serenity: State of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.

  • Tranquility: Quality or state of being tranquil; calm.

  • Apathy: Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

  • Lethargy: Lack of energy and enthusiasm.

  • Boredom: State of feeling weary and restless through lack of interest.

  • Relief: Feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress.

  • Acceptance: Assent to the reality of a situation without attempting to resist it.

10. Complex & Culturally Specific Emotions

  • Schadenfreude: Pleasure derived from another person's misfortune.

  • Saudade: Deep nostalgic longing for an absent something or someone that is loved.

  • Sehnsucht: Intense yearning for an ideal or unattainable state.

  • Weltschmerz: Feeling of melancholy or weariness caused by comparing the actual world with an ideal state.

  • Ambivalence: Simultaneous and contradictory feelings toward an object, person, or situation.