EMOTION Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'emotion' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of emotion are affection , feeling , passion , and sentiment . While all these words mean "a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation," emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling , encompasses both positive and negative responses. // the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence

Q: When might 'affection' be a better fit than 'emotion'?

While in some cases nearly identical to emotion , affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings. // a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

Q: Where would 'feeling' be a reasonable alternative to 'emotion'?

The meanings of feeling and emotion largely overlap; however, feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it. // the feelings that once moved me are gone

Q: When is it sensible to use 'passion' instead of 'emotion'?

While the synonyms passion and emotion are close in meaning, passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion. // revenge became his ruling passion

Q: When is 'sentiment' a more appropriate choice than 'emotion'?

In some situations, the words sentiment and emotion are roughly equivalent. However, sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea. // her feminist sentiments are well known

emotion

noun

i-ˈmō-shən

Definition of emotion next

as in feeling

a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation my emotions after hearing the shocking news went from utter disbelief to overwhelming sorrow

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in intensity

depth of feeling the emotion that the singer is able to instill in "Amazing Grace" is truly stirring

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word emotion distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of emotion are affection, feeling, passion, and sentiment. While all these words mean "a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation," emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses.

the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence

When might affection be a better fit than emotion?

While in some cases nearly identical to emotion, affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.

a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

Where would feeling be a reasonable alternative to emotion?

The meanings of feeling and emotion largely overlap; however, feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it.

the feelings that once moved me are gone

When is it sensible to use passion instead of emotion?

While the synonyms passion and emotion are close in meaning, passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.

revenge became his ruling passion

When is sentiment a more appropriate choice than emotion?

In some situations, the words sentiment and emotion are roughly equivalent. However, sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.

her feminist sentiments are well known

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of emotion MRIs measured brain activity while the participants undertook seven tasks designed to test emotion, reward, motor function, working memory, language, relational or logical reasoning, and theory of mind or social information processing. —

New Atlas, 28 Jan. 2025 But there are still no emotions attached, no real connection to the person who went through it. —

Susan Young, People.com, 28 Jan. 2025 Nor is Maud, whose emotions can be erratic, a particularly sympathetic character. —

Victoria Uren, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025 That is, not only does emotionality sell goods, but emotions themselves have also become commodities. —

Maytal Eyal, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for emotion

Recent Examples of Synonyms for emotion

Noun

The Hip-Hop veteran does not speak in the video, however, the lyrics of the song emote deep feelings.

— DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 31 Jan. 2025
But if the humor doesn’t land as solidly as before, the more serious subplots, centered on Mo’s feelings of disconnection from his roots and Yusra’s compulsive doomscrolling about violence in her native Palestine, carry the show.

— Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2025