Negative Emotions: English Vocabulary List

a feeling of extreme hatred or aversion toward something or someone

"She felt abhorrence for the crime."

"She felt deep abhorrence toward any form of violence or cruelty."

a state of extreme anxiety

"His agitation was obvious."

"His agitation was obvious as he paced back and forth waiting for the important phone call."

an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to danger or threat

"The boxer felt a sense of dread before the fight."

"A feeling of dread filled the student as he walked into the room to receive his final exam results."

a state of low spirits, sadness, or melancholy

"The team sat in dejection after losing the big final match."

"Dejection is a lowness of spirits brought on by a specific disappointment or failure"

a feeling of total hopelessness

"Despair took over her soul."

"Despair is the complete loss of hope"

the sadness and worry provoked by an unpleasant surprise

"The bad news filled everyone with dismay."

"To my great dismay I realized that I had left my passport at home just as the agent asked for it."

a state of wild, uncontrolled excitement or agitation

"The crowd worked itself into a frenzy."

"There was a shopping frenzy before the big holiday sale started."

an intense sense of rage

"His wrath was immense."

"The villain's cruel actions unleashed the hero's terrible wrath against his enemies."

a sudden feeling of fear

"The noise caused fright."

"The sudden fright caused her heart to beat very fast for several minutes."

a feeling of irritation or discomfort caused by something that is bothersome, unpleasant, or disruptive

"His constant tapping was an annoyance."

"His constant tapping on the table was a minor annoyance that eventually distracted everyone in the quiet library."

the feeling of hatred or disgust toward someone or something

"Feeling of revulsion."

"She felt strong revulsion when she saw the terrible accident scene."

a feeling of worry or shock after an unexpected, unpleasant event

"The sudden change caused consternation."

"The news caused great consternation among all family members present."

a strong, persistent desire for someone or something, often accompanied by a sense of sadness

"He felt a deep longing for home."

"She felt deep longing for her hometown after living abroad for many years."

a state of extreme physical pain or mental distress

"His anguish was heartbreaking to see."

"Anguish is an acute and profound form of mental suffering"

causing intense fear, shock, or disgust

"The scene is horrific."

"The horrific accident on the highway closed the road for six hours and emergency workers struggled to free the trapped passengers."

inspiring a sense of fear or unease

"The house looks eerie at night."

"The eerie silence in the abandoned house made the hair on the back of his neck stand up straight."

causing feelings of unease, discomfort, or anxiety

"The news is unsettling."

"The strange phone call was unsettling because the caller knew her name and address but she had no idea who the person on the other end was."

causing one to feel serious or thoughtful, often by showing the seriousness of a situation

"The news is sobering."

"The sobering news about the economy made everyone realize that difficult times were ahead and they started saving money."

causing strong emotions, especially sadness or empathy

"The movie is poignant."

"The poignant film about a soldier returning home made the entire audience cry and people left the theater in silence."

greatly frightened and worried about something, in a way that is uncontrollable

"She was frantic."

"The mother was frantic when she could not find her child in the crowded store and she ran through the aisles screaming his name."

(of a person or their manner) melancholic and full of grief

"He looked downcast."

"She looked downcast after hearing that her application had been rejected by the university she had dreamed of attending for years."

causing feelings of anxiety, fear, or a loss of confidence

"The experience is unnerving."

"The unnerving sound of footsteps in the empty house made her heart race and she locked the door and checked all the windows."

filled with intense anger or fury

"She was incensed."

"The politician was incensed by the baseless accusations made against him during the debate."

frozen in place, often due to shock or fear

"He was petrified."

"The petrified child hid under the bed during the thunderstorm and she refused to come out until the lightning stopped."

expressing longing or yearning tinged with sadness or melancholy, often for something unattainable or lost

"She gave a wistful smile."

"The wistful look in his eyes showed that he missed his childhood and he often talked about the happy times with his brothers."

unpleasant or unattractive

"The news is grim."

"The news from the war zone was grim and many people feared that the situation would only get worse in the coming weeks."

showing sadness, typically in a mild manner

"The cry was plaintive."

"The plaintive cry of the lost puppy broke her heart and she searched the neighborhood until she found its owner."

feeling so shocked or surprised that one is incapable of acting in a normal way

"I am stunned."

"The stunned silence in the room was broken by a loud gasp when the winner's name was announced at the awards ceremony."

feeling suddenly surprised or shocked

"She looked startled."

"The startled deer froze for a moment and then ran into the forest when it heard the car approaching."

feeling uneasy or nervous

"The children are restless."

"The children became restless after sitting in the car for five hours and they started kicking the seats and asking Are we there yet every few minutes."

feeling worried or concerned due to a sudden, unexpected event or potential danger

"I was alarmed by the noise."

"I was alarmed by the loud crash and ran outside to see what had happened."

embarrassed or worried about one's appearance or actions

"She is self-conscious."

"He felt incredibly self-conscious about his new haircut, constantly checking his reflection in shop windows."

nervous or worried that something unpleasant may happen

"I feel apprehensive."

"She felt apprehensive about starting her new job because she did not know anyone and she was afraid of making mistakes."

feeling nervous or worried, especially about something unpleasant that might happen soon

"He feels uneasy."

"He felt uneasy walking alone through the dark and empty parking lot late at night after work."

feeling unhappy or resentful because someone has something one wants

"She is envious of my success."

"She was envious of her sister's success but instead of being bitter she used that feeling as motivation to work harder on her own career."

unwilling to do something due to a lack of will, motivation, or consent

"I am loath to go."

"She was loath to admit that she had made a mistake but she knew that apologizing was the right thing to do."

to feel deeply sad usually due to someone's death

"The nation mourns the fallen heroes."

"The entire nation gathered to mourn the loss of the beloved leader who had served for decades."

to feel intense sorrow, especially because someone has died

"She still grieves for her husband."

"The widow continues to grieve for her husband who passed away suddenly from a heart attack last year."

to verbally express deep sadness over a loss or unfortunate situation

"The song laments a lost love."

"The song laments a lost love and expresses the singer's deep regret for ending the relationship."

to cause someone to feel extremely embarrassed or ashamed, often by publicly exposing their weaknesses or shortcomings

"Do not humiliate him publicly."

"The bully tried to humiliate the new student in front of the whole class by making fun of his clothes."

to make someone extremely angry

"The delay infuriated the impatient customers."

"The unjust decision by the judge infuriated the victim's family who felt that the criminal had not been punished sufficiently."

to make someone feel nervous or uncomfortable, often by surprising or overwhelming them

"The unexpected question flustered him."

"The unexpected difficult question from the reporter flustered the politician who could not give a clear answer."

to deeply irritate someone, especially when they can do nothing about it or solve the problem

"His rudeness exasperates me."

"The constant, pointless questions from the new intern began to exasperate the experienced project manager."

to cause someone to become extremely angry or shocked

"The news outrages him."

"The blatant injustice of the verdict deeply outraged the protestors who had gathered outside the courthouse."

to annoy someone by intentionally or persistently bothering them with small, annoying actions or behaviors

"The slow internet connection vexes me."

"The slow internet connection vexed the student who was trying to submit his important assignment before the deadline."

to annoy someone, often over small matters

"Her constant complaining irritates everyone."

"The loud and repetitive sound of the dripping faucet began to irritate her after several hours of listening to it."

to have a strong and continuous desire for something

"He yearns for a better life."

"She yearns to travel to distant lands and experience different cultures instead of staying in her small hometown forever."

to suddenly move back in response to something surprising, frightening, or unpleasant

"She recoiled from the disgusting sight."

"The cat recoiled in fear when it saw the large barking dog approaching too quickly."

a feeling of distress, shyness, or guilt as a result of an uncomfortable situation

"His embarrassment was clear."

"Embarrassment is the uncomfortable feeling of self-consciousness and shame that arises from an awkward social situation or a public mistake."

a state of extreme emotional pain or suffering

"He was in distress."

"The sudden news of the accident plunged her into a state of profound distress and anxiety about her loved ones."

a feeling of doubt or uneasiness, often related to one's conscience or sense of right and wrong

"I have no qualms about the decision."

"He had no qualm about telling the truth even when it was difficult."

great excitement, anger, or fear that makes someone unable to control their emotions, and as a result, they start laughing, crying, etc.

"The news caused mass hysteria."

"Mass hysteria spread quickly among the frightened crowd after the false alarm."

hostile or angry behavior that may result in violence or threats

"The dog's aggression scared the children."

"The dog's aggression towards strangers made it unsafe to take him for walks in the park."

an unexpected and quick feeling of a particular emotion, often a negative one

"A twinge of regret surfaced."

"She felt a sudden twinge of pain in her back while lifting the heavy box."

experiencing or creating a sense of sadness or hopelessness in a situation or atmosphere

"The news was grim."

"The prolonged economic downturn created a grim outlook for small businesses throughout the region."

feeling very lonely and sad

"She felt desolate."

"The abandoned town looked desolate with empty buildings and broken windows and tumbleweeds rolling down the main street that was once full of people."

feeling upset or annoyed due to being unable to do or achieve something

"I feel frustrated."

"The frustrated driver honked his horn when the car in front of him did not move after the light turned green."

feeling or showing deep sadness mixed with hopelessness and emotional pain

"She felt desperate."

"He was desperate after losing his job and facing mounting debts."

to confuse someone, making it difficult for them to understand or think clearly

"The puzzle confounded the smartest student."

"The surprising results of the experiment confounded the scientists who had expected a completely different outcome based on their initial hypothesis."

to overwhelm or restrict someone so much that they feel suffocated or unable to act freely

"Love can smother you."

"Her overbearing parents' constant attention threatened to smother her independence and her desire to explore."

in a manner that is extremely poor or unfortunate

"The team was woefully unprepared."

"The team was woefully unprepared for the game and they lost by a very embarrassing margin of fifty points."