Grammar
Expressing Emotions in English: Vocabulary and Phrases for Every Situation
Does this sound familiar? You want to express how you feel in English, but all you can think of is "happy" and "sad". Yet the English language offers a fascinating variety of emotion words – from mild expressions like "pleased" to strong feelings like "devastated" or "ecstatic". In this interactive lesson, you will learn over 16 important emotion words, popular idioms like "over the moon" and "feeling blue", as well as body language expressions. With numerous exercises, you will practice expressing feelings precisely and naturally in English.
Topics
Learning Content
Emotions in English: More Than Just "Happy" and "Sad"
Feelings are an essential part of our daily communication – at work, in everyday life, and in personal conversations. Yet many German English learners limit themselves to a few basic words like "happy", "sad", or "angry". That is often not enough to express what you really mean.
In this interactive article you will learn:
- Emotion words by intensity level – from mild to extreme
- The correct use of adjective intensifiers (very vs. absolutely)
- Popular English idioms about feelings
- Body language expressions like "my heart sank"
- How to express emotions appropriately in a business context
With numerous exercises – from fill-in-the-blank to matching and a final quiz – you will reinforce what you have learned right away. Level: A2-B1.
Includes interactive exercises and final test. Duration: approx. 20 minutes.
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Grammar: Adjective Intensifiers for Emotions
Rule
To express the strength of an emotion, use intensifiers before the adjective. Important: Some adjectives are already 'extreme' (e.g., 'furious', 'devastated') and must NOT be combined with 'very'. Use 'absolutely' or 'utterly' instead.
Examples
"I'm very happy about the news."
Correct: 'happy' is a normal (gradable) adjective and can be combined with 'very'.
"She was absolutely thrilled to hear the results."
Correct: 'thrilled' is an extreme adjective and pairs with 'absolutely'.
"He was very furious about the decision."
Wrong! 'Furious' is already an extreme word (= very angry). Correct: 'He was absolutely furious.'
"They were a bit disappointed with the service."
Correct: 'a bit' softens the adjective – very natural in English.
Tips
- •Normal adjectives: very, quite, rather, fairly, a bit + happy, sad, angry, worried
- •Extreme adjectives: absolutely, utterly, totally + thrilled, devastated, furious, terrified
- •'Really' works with BOTH types: 'really happy' AND 'really thrilled'
- •'Pretty' is informal and works like 'quite': 'I'm pretty nervous.'
Tip
Pro Tip: In business English, it is important to express emotions in a measured way. Instead of "I'm angry about this", say "I'm concerned about this" or "I'm a bit disappointed with the outcome." Understatement is an important skill in the English-speaking business world.
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks – Using Intensifiers
She was ______ devastated when she heard the bad news.
Exercise 2: True or False?
You can say: 'I'm very exhausted.'
Emotion Vocabulary by Intensity
From Mild to Extreme: Grading Emotions
A common problem for German English learners is using the same word for every situation. In English, however, there is a whole intensity scale for each emotion. Knowing these gradations will make your English sound more natural and precise immediately.
Take the example of "happy":
- Mild: content, pleased, glad
- Medium: happy, cheerful, joyful
- Strong: thrilled, delighted, overjoyed
- Extreme: ecstatic, euphoric, over the moon
The same applies to negative emotions. Instead of just "sad" you can choose between "a bit down", "unhappy", "miserable", or "heartbroken" – depending on the strength of the feeling.
Emotion Vocabulary: Positive Feelings
8 words
content
adjFeeling satisfied and at peace
After a long day, she felt content sitting by the fire.
pleased
adjHappy about something, especially a result
I'm pleased with your progress this term.
cheerful
adjNoticeably happy and optimistic
She's always cheerful in the morning.
thrilled
adjExtremely pleased and excited (stronger than 'happy')
We were thrilled to hear the good news.
delighted
adjVery pleased, charmed (more formal than 'happy')
I'd be delighted to attend your event.
ecstatic
adjFeeling overwhelming happiness or joyful excitement
The team was ecstatic after winning the championship.
grateful
adjFeeling or showing thanks
I'm grateful for your help during this project.
relieved
adjNo longer feeling worried or distressed
I was so relieved when I passed the exam.
Emotion Vocabulary: Negative Feelings
8 words
anxious
adjExperiencing worry or unease, often with physical symptoms
She felt anxious before the job interview.
frustrated
adjFeeling upset or annoyed because of inability to change something
He's frustrated with the slow internet connection.
devastated
adjExtremely upset, shocked, or overwhelmed with grief
She was devastated when she lost her job.
furious
adjExtremely angry
He was furious when he discovered the mistake.
terrified
adjExtremely frightened
I'm terrified of flying.
miserable
adjVery unhappy or uncomfortable
The rainy weather made everyone miserable.
overwhelmed
adjFeeling that something is too much to deal with
She felt overwhelmed by the amount of work.
embarrassed
adjFeeling ashamed or self-conscious
He was embarrassed about his pronunciation mistake.
Game: Word Scramble – Emotion Words
Matching: Idioms and Their Meanings
Click on a word on the left and then on the matching translation on the right.
Body Language Expressions
Expressing Emotions Through Body Language
In English, there are many vivid expressions that connect emotions with physical reactions. These phrases will make your English more lively and natural.
Joy and excitement:
- My heart leapt – My heart jumped with happiness
- I jumped for joy – I physically jumped because of happiness
- Her face lit up – Her expression became bright and happy
Sadness and disappointment:
- My heart sank – I suddenly felt very disappointed
- I had a lump in my throat – I felt like I was about to cry
- She burst into tears – She suddenly started crying
Fear and nervousness:
- I got goosebumps – My skin reacted to fear or cold
- My blood ran cold – I felt sudden, intense fear
- I was shaking like a leaf – I was trembling with fear
Sentence Builder: Forming Emotional Sentences
Translation: She was absolutely thrilled about the promotion.
Exercise 3: Which Emotion Fits?
After waiting two hours for the delayed flight, the passengers were ___ .
Translation: Expressing Emotions
German
Ich bin so erleichtert, dass alles gut gegangen ist.
Cultural Note
Cultural Note: The British often use understatement when expressing emotions. "I'm not too pleased about it" can mean someone is actually very angry. "Not bad" can mean "really good." Pay attention to tone and context – in British English, what is NOT said is often just as important as what is said.
Final Quiz: Test Your Emotion Knowledge
Which intensifier goes with 'terrified'?
More Lessons
English Proofreading for Academic Texts: What You Need to Know
Academic Writing in English: The Complete Guide for German Students
English Proofreading: 10 Tricks for Error-Free Texts
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