This article was written by Lawrence Kaufman (L.M.F.T), 561-302-0568
contact@kaufmancounseling.com www.kaufmancounseling.com
(Note: This list and the following lists in this series of words will be revised several times each year. So, you may want to bookmark this page for future reference.)
Introduction:
Below are some of the most commonly used words (and phrases [not just a single word]) that my clients have used to express (or begin to express) their feelings, and to describe the feelings that they view others as having. This list can be used to help people in counseling and psychotherapy (and those who are not) more accurately and skillfully identify and name/ label their feelings (or words closely related to feelings), and to clearly, verbally communicate and express their inner feelings, experiences, and perceptions, to others they are close to.
You can add additional feeling related words to this list as you become aware of them in your daily life. You can also delete words from this list and then add them to another list in this series. For example, you can switch the word “abandoned” from the Level 1 list to the Level 2 list. You can also switch a word from the Level 2 list to the Level 1 list if you find this better matches your unique experience.
In addition, you can conveniently and easily print out these entire lists and email them (if you choose) to any email address you would like to send them to. (Just click on the “Print This” icon at the end of each list.) I wish you well in your lifelong journey towards beneficially increasing your emotional skill level and literacy! Your feedback on these lists is most welcome.
List of commonly used words that express feelings (directly or indirectly)
(This is the first list in a series of five increasingly challenging vocabulary lists.)
Updated on 3/13/20
| A | |||||
| abandoned | able | abnormal | abused | accepted | |
| accused | active | addicted | adequate | admired | |
| affectionate | afraid | aggressive | alert | alive | |
| alone | amazed | ambitious | amused | angry | |
| annoyed | anxious | appreciated | appropriate | artificial | |
| ashamed | assertive | astonished | at peace | attacked | |
| attracted to | attractive | authentic | avoided | awake | |
| awful | awkward | ||||
B |
|||||
| bad | bashful | battered | beat | beaten up | |
| beautiful | betrayed | better | biased | blamed | |
| blind | bored | bothered | brave | brilliant | |
| broken | bullied | burned out | |||
C |
|||||
| calm | calmed down | capable | cared about | cared for | |
| careful | careless | caring | caught | cautious | |
| certain | challenged | cheated | cheerful | clean | |
| clever | close | clumsy | cold | comfortable | |
| committed | competent | competitive | compulsive | concerned | |
| confident | confused | contaminated | content | controlled | |
| controlling | convinced | cooperative | courageous | courteous | |
| cozy | crazy | creative | crippled | critical | |
| criticized | crowded | cruel | curious | cute | |
D |
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| damaged | dangerous | dead | deceived | dedicated | |
| defeated | delicate | delighted | demanding | dependable | |
| dependent | depressed | deprived | desperate | destroyed | |
| destructive | different | difficult | dirty | disabled | |
| disappointed | disapproved of | discouraged | discriminated against | disgusted | |
| disgusting | dishonest | disliked | disobedient | disorganized | |
| disrespected | disrespectful | dissatisfied | distant | distorted | |
| distracted | distressed | distrustful | disturbed | dizzy | |
| doing okay | down | down in the dumps | drained | dread | |
| dropped | drunk | dull | dumb | ||
E |
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| eager | easygoing | effective | efficient | embarrassed | |
| emotional | empty | encouraged | energetic | enthusiastic | |
| envious | equal | evil | exasperated | excellent | |
| excited | exhausted | exploited | exploited | extraordinary | |
F |
|||||
| fabulous | fair | fake | falling apart | false | |
| falsely accused | fantastic | fascinated | fat | fatigued | |
| fearful | fed up | fine | fit | flattered | |
| flexible | fooled | foolish | forced | forgetful | |
| forgiven | forgiving | fortunate | fragile | frantic | |
| freaked out | free | friendly | frightened | frustrated | |
| full | funny | furious | |||
G |
|||||
| ganged up on | generous | gentle | giving | glad | |
| good | gorgeous | grateful | great | greedy | |
| grief | guilty | ||||
H |
|||||
| handsome | happy | harsh | hate | hated | |
| healed | healthy | heard | heavy | helped | |
| helpful | helpless | high | honest | hopeful | |
| hopeless | horrible | horror | hostile | hot | |
| humiliated | hung over | hungry | hurt | ||
I |
|||||
| idiotic | ignorant | ignored | ill | impatient | |
| impressed | in control | in pain | inadequate | inappropriate | |
| incapable | incompetent | inconsistent | independent | ineffective | |
| inferior | infuriated | injured | innocent | insane | |
| insecure | insensitive | insufficient | insulted | intelligent | |
| intense | interested | interrupted | intolerant | intoxicated | |
| invaded | invisible | irrational | irresponsible | irritated | |
| isolated | |||||
J |
|||||
| jealous | |||||
K |
|||||
| kind | |||||
L |
|||||
| laughed at | lazy | legitimate | let down | lied to | |
| likable | likeable | liked | little | lively | |
| lonely | lost | loud | lousy | loved | |
| loving | low | loyal | lucky | ||
M |
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| mad | made fun of | magnificent | manipulated | marvelous | |
| mature | mean | messed up | miserable | misinterpreted | |
| misled | mistreated | mistrustful | misunderstood | mixed up | |
| motivated | |||||
N |
|||||
| nagged | nasty | naughty | needed | needy | |
| negative | neglected | nervous | nice | normal | |
| not myself | nothing | numb | nuts | ||
O |
|||||
| obedient | obligated | obnoxious | odd | offended | |
| okay | old | open | opposed | ordered around | |
| ordinary | organized | out of control | out of place | outgoing | |
| outstanding | over-loaded | oversensitive | overwhelmed | overworked | |
P |
|||||
| panicked | panicky | patient | peaceful | perfect | |
| phony | picked on | pissed | pissed off | playful | |
| pleasant | pleased | pleasurable | pleasure | poisoned | |
| poor | popular | positive | powerful | powerless | |
| precious | predictable | prejudiced | prepared | pressured | |
| pretty | productive | protected | proud | provoked | |
| punished | pushed | pushed away | pushy | put down | |
| puzzled | |||||
Q |
|||||
| quick | quiet | ||||
R |
|||||
| rage | raped | raw | real | reasonable | |
| reassured | refreshed | regretful | rejected | relaxed | |
| reliable | relieved | reluctant | rescued | resented | |
| resentful | respected | respectful | responsible | rested | |
| restless | retaliated against | rich | ridiculous | right | |
| rigid | rotten | rubbed the wrong way | rude | run down | |
| rushed | |||||
S |
|||||
| sabotaged | sacrificed | sad | safe | sane | |
| satisfied | saved | scared | screwed up | secure | |
| self-destructive | selfish | sensitive | serious | sexy | |
| shaken | shaken up | shame | sharp | shocked | |
| shouted at | shy | sick | silly | sincere | |
| sinful | skilled | skillful | sleepy | slow | |
| smart | sneaky | sober | sore | sorry | |
| special | spoiled | spontaneous | stable | starved | |
| starving | still | stingy | strange | stressed | |
| stressed out | strong | stubborn | stuck | stuffed | |
| stupid | successful | suffering | super | superior | |
| supported | supportive | sure | surprised | suspicious | |
| sweet | swell | sympathetic | |||
T |
|||||
| taken advantaged of | talked down to | teased | tempted | tender | |
| tense | terrible | terrific | terrified | terror | |
| thirsty | threatened | thrilled | tight | tired | |
| tolerant | tolerated | torn | tough | trapped | |
| tremendous | tricked | trusted | trusting | turned on | |
U |
|||||
| ugly | unafraid | unappreciated | unattractive | uncared about | |
| uncared for | uncertian | unclear | uncomfortable | unconcerned | |
| undecided | under pressure | understanding | understood | undeserving | |
| undesirable | uneasy | unhappy | unheard | uninterested | |
| unloved | unpredictable | unreliable | unseen | unstable | |
| unsupported | unsure | unwanted | up | upset | |
| uptight | used | useful | useless | ||
V |
|||||
| valuable | valued | vicous | violent | vulnerable | |
W |
|||||
| wanted | warm | watched | weak | weird | |
| welcome | welcomed | well | well-rested | wicked | |
| wide awake | wise | wonderful | worn out | worried | |
| worthless | worthwhile | worthy | wounded |
By Lawrence Kaufman, Florida Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) 561-302-0568
contact@kaufmancounseling.com www.kaufmancounseling.com
