Feelings and attitudes: vocabulary list

Words for moods, opinions and how people treat each other: calm, bitter, proud, hopeful, hostile. 102 words with meanings and example sentences.

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abhor verb level 2: to hate with strong feeling. She will abhor any form of cruelty.
accolade noun level 2: an award or expression of praise. The film earned an accolade from every critic.
acrimonious adj level 2: angry and bitter in tone or manner. The meeting ended after an acrimonious exchange.
adulation noun level 2: excessive praise or admiration. The singer basked in the adulation of her fans.
adversity noun level 2: difficulty or misfortune. She showed courage in the face of adversity.
alacrity noun level 2: cheerful readiness to act. He accepted the invitation with alacrity.
allay verb level 2: to reduce fear or worry. The doctor's calm words helped allay her fears.
ambivalent adj level 2: having mixed or opposing feelings about something. She felt ambivalent about moving: excited, but sad to leave.
antipathy noun level 2: a strong feeling of dislike. There was a long-standing antipathy between the two families.
apathy noun level 2: a lack of interest or concern. Low voter turnout showed public apathy.
appease verb level 2: to calm someone by giving in to their demands. The manager tried to appease the angry customers with a refund.
ardent adj level 2: showing strong enthusiasm or passion. He was an ardent supporter of the local team.
ardor noun level 2: strong enthusiasm or passion. He spoke of his plans with great ardor.
assuage verb level 2: to make an unpleasant feeling less severe. A cool drink helped assuage his thirst.
avarice noun level 2: extreme greed for wealth. The miser's avarice left him with money but no friends.
avid adj level 2: showing great enthusiasm for something. He is an avid reader of history books.
beguile verb level 2: to charm or deceive someone. The storyteller could beguile children for hours.
belittle verb level 2: to make someone or something seem unimportant. A good coach never belittles a player for a mistake.
benevolent adj level 2: kind and generous. The benevolent donor paid for the new library.
buoyant adj level 2: able to float, or cheerful and hopeful. The team was buoyant after the win.
castigate verb level 2: to criticize severely. The coach did not castigate the players but encouraged them.
censure verb level 2: to criticize someone formally and severely. The committee voted to censure the official for misusing funds.
conciliate verb level 2: to win over or make peace with someone. The mayor tried to conciliate the unhappy residents.
condone verb level 2: to accept or allow bad behaviour. The school does not condone cheating of any kind.
contrite adj level 2: feeling or showing sorrow for having done wrong. The contrite boy apologized to his teacher.
cower verb level 2: to crouch or shrink back in fear. The dog began to cower at the sound of thunder.
deference noun level 2: polite respect for someone's opinion or position. He spoke with deference to the older members.
denigrate verb level 2: to criticize unfairly and belittle. It is unkind to denigrate someone's honest effort.
deplore verb level 2: to strongly disapprove of. Many people deplore the waste of food.
deride verb level 2: to mock someone or something with scorn. Critics will deride the plan as foolish and costly.
disdain noun level 2: a feeling that someone or something is unworthy of respect. He looked at the cheap gift with open disdain.
disparage verb level 2: to speak of something as being of little value. Rivals tried to disparage her achievements.
ebullient adj level 2: cheerful and full of energy. The ebullient host greeted everyone at the door.
elated adj level 2: extremely happy and excited. She was elated when the results came in.
empathy noun level 2: the ability to understand and share another's feelings. A good nurse shows empathy for every patient.
enervate verb level 2: to drain someone of energy. The heat and humidity enervated the hikers.
enmity noun level 2: deep-rooted hostility between people. The enmity between the clans lasted generations.
equanimity noun level 2: calmness of mind, especially under pressure. She faced the bad news with remarkable equanimity.
esteem noun level 2: respect and admiration. The teacher was held in high esteem by her pupils.
exasperate verb level 2: to annoy someone very much. Constant delays can exasperate even calm travelers.
extol verb level 2: to praise enthusiastically. Reviewers extol the novel as a masterpiece.
fervent adj level 2: showing intense and sincere feeling. They made a fervent plea for help.
fervor noun level 2: intense and passionate feeling. The crowd cheered with great fervor.
flout verb level 2: to openly ignore a rule. Drivers who flout the speed limit risk a fine.
forlorn adj level 2: pitifully sad and alone. A forlorn puppy waited by the empty house.
fractious adj level 2: easily upset or quarrelsome. The fractious meeting ended without any agreement.
hubris noun level 2: excessive pride and self-confidence. His hubris led him to ignore every warning.
ignominious adj level 2: causing public shame or disgrace. The team suffered an ignominious defeat.
impassive adj level 2: showing no emotion. The judge remained impassive as the verdict was read.
intimidate verb level 2: to frighten someone into doing something. Bullies try to intimidate smaller children.
irascible adj level 2: easily made angry. The irascible chef shouted at the smallest mistake.
irate adj level 2: very angry. An irate customer demanded to see the manager.
jaded adj level 2: tired and bored from having too much of something. The jaded critic had seen every kind of film.
jocular adj level 2: fond of joking; humorous. His jocular manner put the nervous guests at ease.
jubilant adj level 2: feeling or showing great joy over success. Jubilant fans poured into the streets.
lament verb level 2: to express grief or sorrow. Villagers lament the loss of their old school.
laud verb level 2: to praise highly. Critics lauded the film's stunning photography.
levity noun level 2: lightness of mood in a serious situation. A joke brought a moment of levity to the long meeting.
loathe verb level 2: to dislike intensely. I loathe waiting in long lines.
melancholy noun level 2: a deep, lasting sadness without clear cause. A feeling of melancholy settled over the house.
mirth noun level 2: amusement shown in laughter. The clown's antics filled the tent with mirth.
mollify verb level 2: to calm someone who is upset. A sincere apology mollified the angry customer.
morose adj level 2: sullen and gloomy. He sat morose in the corner for the whole party.
ominous adj level 2: suggesting that something bad will happen. Ominous clouds gathered over the hills.
pathos noun level 2: a quality that arouses pity or sadness. The film's pathos brought tears to many eyes.
penchant noun level 2: a strong liking for something. She has a penchant for mystery novels.
phlegmatic adj level 2: not easily excited; calm. The phlegmatic captain showed no fear.
placate verb level 2: to calm someone who is angry. A refund helped placate the unhappy customer.
poignant adj level 2: causing a keen feeling of sadness. The poignant letter was written to a lost friend.
predilection noun level 2: a special liking for something. She has a predilection for strong coffee.
propensity noun level 2: a natural tendency to behave in a certain way. He has a propensity to arrive late.
rancor noun level 2: deep, lasting bitterness or resentment. There was no rancor between them after the match.
reluctant adj level 1: not willing; hesitant. He was reluctant to speak in front of the whole school.
remorse noun level 2: deep regret for something one has done. He felt sharp remorse for the harsh words.
reproach noun level 2: an expression of disapproval or disappointment. Her look of reproach said more than words.
repugnant adj level 2: causing strong dislike or disgust. The cruelty was repugnant to everyone.
restive adj level 2: unable to stay still or be controlled. The restive crowd began to murmur.
reverence noun level 2: deep respect and admiration. The students spoke of their teacher with reverence.
reverent adj level 2: showing deep respect. The visitors fell into a reverent silence.
sanguine adj level 2: optimistic, especially in a difficult situation. She remained sanguine despite the setbacks.
serene adj level 2: calm, peaceful and untroubled. The lake was serene at dawn.
solace noun level 2: comfort in a time of sadness. She found solace in music after the loss.
solemn adj level 2: serious and dignified. The mood at the ceremony was solemn.
solicitous adj level 2: showing careful concern for someone. The solicitous nurse checked on every patient twice.
somber adj level 2: dark, dull or serious in mood. The somber music matched the gray day.
stigma noun level 2: a mark of shame or disgrace. There is still a stigma attached to asking for help.
stoic adj level 2: enduring pain or hardship without complaint. He was stoic about the long delay.
stolid adj level 2: calm and showing little emotion. The stolid guard did not react to the joke.
subdued adj level 2: quiet and rather serious; toned down. The subdued crowd left the stadium without a word.
sullen adj level 2: bad-tempered and silent. The sullen teenager refused to answer.
tranquil adj level 2: calm and peaceful. The lake was tranquil at dawn.
trepidation noun level 2: nervous fear about what may happen. She opened the letter with trepidation.
truculent adj level 2: eager to argue or fight. The truculent customer shouted at the staff.
umbrage noun level 2: a feeling of being offended. She took umbrage at the suggestion that she was late.
venerate verb level 2: to treat with great respect. Many cultures venerate their elders.
vex verb level 2: to annoy or worry. The long delay will vex many travelers.
vilify verb level 2: to speak about in an abusively critical way. The newspaper began to vilify the mayor.
vitriolic adj level 2: filled with bitter criticism. The review was so vitriolic that the writer wept.
voracious adj level 2: having a huge appetite, for food or for something else. A voracious reader, she finished a book every two days.
wistful adj level 2: full of sad, gentle longing. She gave a wistful look at the old photographs.
wrath noun level 2: extreme anger. The king's wrath fell upon the messenger.
zealous adj level 2: full of energy and enthusiasm for a cause. The zealous volunteers worked day and night.

Other topics: People and character · Speaking, writing and arguing · Thinking and judging · Change, time and action · Size, amount and kind · Science and research · Society, work and rules

Words to enjoy and learn from. These are original lists, and we do not claim any word appears on any particular test.