Wordsmith collection

Social & Emotional Nuance

by Wordsmith @wordsmith

164 precise words for people and feelings — from affable and empathetic to exasperated and wistful. Name the emotion you couldn't place.

• accommodating Helpful and willing to do what others need.
• adaptive Able to change to fit new conditions.
• affable Friendly, easy to talk to and pleasant with other people.
• affectionate Showing warm love and fondness for someone.
• agitated Angry, bothered or worked up.
• alienated Kept apart from other people, shut out and no longer close to them.
• altruistic Thinking of other people first, without wanting anything back.
• ambitious Having a strong wish for success, power, honour or respect.
• amiable Friendly, kind and easy to like.
• analytical Using careful reasoning that breaks things down into their parts.
• annoyed A little angry because something keeps bothering you.
• anxious Nervous and worried, especially about something that might happen.
• apathetic Showing no interest, feeling or concern about something.
• appreciative Showing that you are thankful for something or value it.
• apprehensive Anxious, afraid or doubtful about something that may happen.
• approachable Friendly and easy to talk to.
• arrogant Too proud of yourself, and often rude about other people.
• articulate Able to speak clearly and put thoughts into words well.
• ashamed Feeling bad and guilty about something wrong you have done.
• assertive Boldly sure of yourself and confident, without being aggressive.
• benevolent Wanting to do good, kind and generous towards other people.
• betrayed Hurt by someone trusted who broke that trust.
• bewildered Confused and unable to think clearly about what is happening.
• bitter Having a sharp, strong taste that is not sweet, like coffee.
• blunt Saying things plainly and directly, without trying to be polite.
• bored Feeling tired and restless because you have nothing interesting to do.
• bossy Always telling other people what to do, often without the right to.
• brusque Speaking or acting in a quick, unfriendly way that seems rude.
• callous Emotionally hard and not caring about the suffering of others.
• calm Peaceful and quiet, free from anger and worry.
• candid Honest and open, saying what you really think.
• capricious Changing suddenly and for no clear reason, so nobody can predict it.
• careless Not giving enough attention or thought, so mistakes or harm follow.
• caring Kind and gentle towards people, and quick to feel for them.
• charismatic Having a strong, magnetic charm that inspires devotion in others.
• compassionate Feeling or showing concern for others who are suffering.
• confident Sure of yourself and of your own abilities.
• conflicted In a state of personal or emotional conflict.
• conscientious Careful and thorough in your work, and guided by a sense of right.
• considerate Thoughtful about other people's needs and feelings.
• content The subject matter and information in a piece of writing, a speech or a video.
• courteous Polite and thoughtful towards other people, with good manners.
• creative Able to make new things, often in a fresh and original way.
• cruel Causing pain and suffering on purpose, without mercy.
• cynical Doubting that other people are sincere or have honest motives.
• defiant Boldly resisting opposition and refusing to give in.
• dependable Someone or something you can rely on to do what is needed.
• determined Firmly decided to do something and not willing to give up.
• devastated Extremely upset and shocked by something bad.
• devoted Strongly attached to and very fond of someone or something.
• diligent Working hard and paying close, steady attention to the task.
• docile Quiet and easy to control, ready to do as told.
• dominant More common or more important than anything else.
• driven Very determined and passionately motivated to achieve goals.
• eccentric Behaving in an unconventional and slightly strange way, unlike most people.
• egotistical Talking too much about yourself and believing you matter more than other people.
• elated Feeling very happy and excited about something good.
• eloquent Good at expressing ideas clearly and persuasively in speech or writing.
• embarrassed Feeling uncomfortable and a little ashamed in front of other people.
• empathetic Able to see and share how other people are feeling.
• empowered Given the power to act and make your own choices.
• enamored In love with someone, or very fond of something.
• enraged Filled with fury, extremely angry.
• envious Wanting what someone else has and resenting them for having it.
• even-tempered Remaining calm even in situations that would cause many others to become angry, frustrated, panicky, etc.
• exasperated Very annoyed because your patience has run out.
• extroverted Outgoing and at ease meeting and talking with other people.
• fickle Quick to change your mind or loyalty, so not reliable.
• frustrated Annoyed and upset because you cannot do or get what you want.
• furious Feeling very great anger, or rushing along with wild violent force.
• generous Happy to give money, time or kindness freely to others.
• gloomy Dark or dimly lit in a way that feels depressing or frightening.
• grateful Feeling or showing thanks to someone for something they did.
• gregarious Enjoying being with other people and happy in a crowd.
• guilty Responsible for doing something wrong, such as a dishonest act or a crime.
• hateful Full of hatred, or showing hatred toward others.
• haughty Behaving as if you are better than other people.
• heartbroken Feeling deep grief, especially after a love affair ends.
• hopeful Feeling that good things will happen, or giving others that feeling.
• hostile Unfriendly and showing ill will, like an enemy who wants to harm you.
• humble Not proud or arrogant, with a modest opinion of yourself.
• humiliated Made to feel small and stripped of dignity or self-respect.
• humorous Funny, or making people laugh.
• idealistic Having or showing high ideals, sometimes more than is practical.
• imaginative Good at thinking up new and creative ideas.
• impulsive Acting on sudden feelings and deciding fast without thinking things through.
• indecisive Slow or unable to make up your mind about something.
• indifferent Not caring about something or not interested in it one way or the other.
• indignant Angry about something that seems unfair or wrong.
• inflexible Not willing or able to change, or to adapt to new situations.
• introverted Turned inward, focused on your own thoughts and feelings more than the world outside.
• intuitive Done or felt straight away, without stopping to think.
• irate Extremely angry, in a way that shows.
• irresponsible Acting carelessly, without thinking about the harm it may cause.
• isolated Standing apart or alone, away from other things or people.
• jealous Feeling resentful or angry because someone else has an advantage or success.
• joyful Feeling great happiness, or making other people feel it.
• kind-hearted Alternative spelling of kindhearted.
• liberated Set free, especially from old ideas about how people should behave.
• livid Extremely angry, so angry that the face goes pale.
• lonely Sad because you have no one around you.
• loving Showing warm affection and care for other people.
• loyal Always supporting a person, group or cause, and never turning away.
• malicious Wanting to hurt someone, and full of spite.
• meek Quiet, gentle and not willing to argue or push forward.
• melancholy A deep, thoughtful sadness, or feeling and sounding that way.
• meticulous Giving very careful and precise attention to small details.
• modest Not bragging or boasting about yourself or what you have achieved.
• moody Often sulky or gloomy, and given to sudden changes of feeling.
• morose Gloomy and sullen, in a bad mood that broods and does not lift.
• nostalgic Feeling a fond, wistful longing for the past.
• nurturing Caring for someone and helping them grow.
• obedient Willing to do what parents, teachers or other people in authority tell you.
• obstinate Refusing to change a view or give way, often past all reason.
• open-minded Willing to consider new and different concepts, ideas, or opinions.
• optimistic Expecting things to turn out well.
• outgoing Friendly, talkative and comfortable meeting new people.
• overwhelmed Overpowered by feelings or demands that are too strong to handle.
• panicked In a state of sudden, intense fear.
• patient A person or animal that gets health care from a doctor or nurse.
• pensive Deep in serious thought, often looking a little sad.
• perplexed Confused or puzzled by something.
• pessimistic Expecting the worst and having little hope.
• platonic Describes a relationship that is neither sexual nor romantic.
• polite Behaving in a way that shows good manners and respect for others.
• pragmatic Practical and focused on what is useful in real life, not just in theory.
• proactive Acting in advance to deal with an expected change or difficulty.
• proud Feeling honoured, happy or satisfied about something that happened or that you did.
• quirky Strange in a slightly silly, awkward way that can be appealing.
• rational Based on sound reasoning, without contradiction or absurdity.
• realistic Sensible about what can really happen or be achieved.
• rebellious Fighting against or refusing to obey the people in charge.
• reckless Acting without care or thought for danger.
• regretful Feeling sad or sorry about something you did or lost.
• remorseful Feeling or showing deep guilt about something wrong you have done.
• resentful Feeling bitter and angry because you think you were treated unfairly.
• reserved Set aside or kept for a particular person or purpose.
• resolute Firm and determined, and not willing to give way.
• respectful Showing polite regard and consideration for other people.
• rigid Stiff and hard, not able to bend or move easily.
• romantic Showing or stirring feelings of love and affection.
• sarcastic Mocking someone by saying the opposite of what you really mean.
• self-assured Assured by or of one's self; confident in one's own abilities.
• selfish Caring only about your own gain or comfort, with little thought for others.
• selfless Caring about other people rather than about yourself.
• sentimental Guided by tender feelings rather than by reason.
• sincere Really meaning what you say, without pretending.
• snarky Snide and sarcastic; usually out of irritation.
• stubborn Refusing to give in or change your mind, however hard others push.
• submissive Meekly obeying others and letting them take control.
• supportive Giving help, encouragement or backing to someone or something.
• sympathetic Feeling or showing that you understand and care about someone's troubles.
• tactful Careful not to say or do things that upset people.
• temperamental Changing mood quickly and easily, often getting upset without warning.
• terrified Filled with extreme fear.
• thrilled Very excited and pleased about something.
• timid Not brave or not sure of yourself.
• tolerant Willing to allow or accept things you do not agree with.
• uneasy Worried or restless, and unable to feel calm or relaxed.
• unpredictable Impossible to guess or know in advance.
• vengeful Wanting to hurt someone back for what they did to you.
• versatile Able to do many different things well, or useful in many ways.
• volatile Changing often and unpredictably, as a price can.
• witty Able to say clever, amusing things quickly.

Definitions from Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0) and Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).