Talking about Positive Emotions: English Vocabulary List

the feeling of being happy and well

"Her face radiated pure happiness and joy."

"True happiness does not come from material possessions but from spending time with loved ones."

a state of mind marked by wanting good things to happen

"A mood of hopefulness returned after the peace deal."

"The hopefulness of the early 1960s faded quickly as political tensions began to rise across the country."

a strong feeling of enthusiasm and happiness

"The excitement before the concert was electric."

"The children could barely hide their excitement as they waited to open their presents on Christmas morning."

a feeling of great excitement and passion

"Her enthusiasm for the project was contagious."

"Her enthusiasm for the new project was contagious and motivated the entire team to work harder."

the quality of being thankful or showing appreciation for something

"She expressed her gratitude with tears."

"He expressed his sincere gratitude to the firefighters who saved his family from the burning house."

the feeling of pleasure that someone experiences from an activity, a thing or a situation

"We got great enjoyment out of the simple picnic."

"The enjoyment she gets from playing the piano helps her relax after a stressful day at work."

a feeling of much respect for and approval of someone or something

"The way she handled the crisis filled me with admiration."

"His daring and reckless bravery earned him the grudging admiration of even his fiercest and most bitter rivals in the sport."

a state of being free from pain, worry, or other unpleasant feelings

"The kind words brought her great comfort."

"A comfort zone is a psychological state in which a person feels familiar"

a happy and positive state of mind or attitude

"Her cheerfulness is infectious"

"Her cheerfulness brightened the entire office, even on a Monday morning when everyone felt tired."

a general tendency to look on the bright side of things and to expect positive outcomes

"His optimism is a great asset in his work."

"Unrealistic optimism is a well-documented cognitive bias that causes a person to believe that they are at less risk of experiencing a negative event compared to other people."

a sudden feeling of pleasure and excitement

"The roller coaster gave me an incredible thrill."

"The thrill of riding a roller coaster comes from the sudden drops and fast turns during the ride."

the action of laughing or the sound it makes

"The room was filled with the sound of laughter."

"The sound of a child's laughter is often enough to brighten up even the gloomiest of days."

a feeling of joy, happiness, and optimism

"The crowd felt cheer."

"Despite the challenging circumstances, the team maintained a strong spirit of cheer and encouraged each other to keep fighting."

a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen or to be true

"The only hope is that the weather clears up soon."

"The discovery of a new treatment gave hope to thousands of patients suffering from the rare disease."