The medium list: the five most useful words in each family, with meanings and intensity (● mild, ●● moderate, ●●● strong). The full 100+ word list is at emoatlas.com/blog/list-of-emotions.
50 words in 10 families. Within each family, from mild to intense.
Joy — Signal: something good is happening and is worth repeating.| Emotion / feeling | What it means | Intensity |
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| contentment | things are as they should be | ●●●mild |
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| relief | a worry has passed and tension drops | ●●●mild |
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| pride | pleasure in an achievement, yours or someone's | ●●●moderate |
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| hope | expecting that things may turn out well | ●●●moderate |
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| elation | overflowing joy, hard to sit still | ●●●strong |
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Calm — Signal: no threat right now, it's safe to recover.| Emotion / feeling | What it means | Intensity |
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| relaxation | body and mind at ease | ●●●mild |
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| safety | no threat nearby, you can exhale | ●●●mild |
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| acceptance | being okay with what is, without a fight | ●●●mild |
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| serenity | quiet clarity, free of worry | ●●●moderate |
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| confidence | a sense that you can handle it | ●●●moderate |
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Love & connection — Signal: this person or bond matters to you.| Emotion / feeling | What it means | Intensity |
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| trust | confidence that you can rely on someone | ●●●moderate |
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| gratitude | appreciation for what you received | ●●●moderate |
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| belonging | the sense that you fit in here | ●●●moderate |
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| compassion | feeling another's pain and wanting to help | ●●●moderate |
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| love | deep attachment and care | ●●●strong |
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Interest — Signal: there's something here to learn or gain.| Emotion / feeling | What it means | Intensity |
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| curiosity | wanting to find out what's next | ●●●mild |
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| absorption | lost in an activity, time flies | ●●●moderate |
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| anticipation | looking forward to something | ●●●moderate |
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| inspiration | a rush of ideas and the urge to create | ●●●strong |
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| fascination | interest you can't pull away from | ●●●strong |
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Surprise — Signal: something unexpected happened; time to adjust.| Emotion / feeling | What it means | Intensity |
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| puzzlement | “wait, how did that happen?” | ●●●mild |
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| confusion | thoughts tangle, you need a moment | ●●●mild |
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| amazement | strong surprise, often with wonder | ●●●strong |
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| shock | surprise that knocks you off balance | ●●●strong |
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| awe | wonder at something much bigger than you | ●●●strong |
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Sadness — Signal: something that mattered was lost or didn't happen.| Emotion / feeling | What it means | Intensity |
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| disappointment | expectations weren't met | ●●●moderate |
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| loneliness | missing connection with people | ●●●moderate |
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| helplessness | feeling nothing can be done | ●●●strong |
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| despair | near-total loss of hope | ●●●strong |
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| grief | the deep pain of loss | ●●●strong |
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Fear & anxiety — Signal: possible danger; time to prepare.| Emotion / feeling | What it means | Intensity |
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| worry | thoughts circling a possible problem | ●●●mild |
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| insecurity | doubting yourself or the outcome | ●●●mild |
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| nervousness | a jittery body before an event | ●●●moderate |
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| anxiety | tense expectation of a threat, often vague | ●●●moderate |
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| panic | fear that floods body and mind | ●●●strong |
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Anger — Signal: a boundary was crossed or something blocks a goal.| Emotion / feeling | What it means | Intensity |
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| irritation | minor but nagging displeasure | ●●●mild |
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| frustration | blocked from what you want | ●●●moderate |
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| hurt | feeling wronged by someone | ●●●moderate |
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| jealousy | fear of losing someone to a rival | ●●●moderate |
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| rage | anger that's hard to hold back | ●●●strong |
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Disgust — Signal: this is unacceptable to you; you want distance.| Emotion / feeling | What it means | Intensity |
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| boredom | nothing sparks any interest | ●●●mild |
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| dislike | wanting to keep your distance | ●●●mild |
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| disgust | strong rejection | ●●●moderate |
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| contempt | looking down on someone | ●●●moderate |
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| loathing | extreme disgust | ●●●strong |
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Shame & guilt — Signal: you broke your own or others' expectations.| Emotion / feeling | What it means | Intensity |
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| embarrassment | uncomfortable under attention | ●●●mild |
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| shyness | timidity around others | ●●●mild |
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| guilt | “I did something wrong” | ●●●moderate |
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| shame | “something is wrong with me” | ●●●moderate |
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| humiliation | shame in front of others | ●●●strong |
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