INDEX:
1. to feel hot/tired/hungry etc
2. a physical feeling of heat, cold, tiredness, hunger etc
3. how something feels when you touch it
4. experiencing physical feelings more than most people
5. when you cannot feel anything in a part of your body
6. to feel happy/frightened/bored etc
7. a feeling of happiness, anger, fear etc
8. a general feeling among a group of people
9. behaving in a way that shows strong feelings
10. events and situations that make people have strong feelings
11. too easily influenced by emotions
12. a story, film, song etc that is full of feelings of love or sadness
13. not showing your feelings
RELATED WORDS
to stop yourself from having or showing a feeling : ↑ STOP
see also
↑ TOUCH
↑ EXPRESSION ON SB'S FACE
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1. to feel hot/tired/hungry etc
▷ feel/be /fiːl, biː/ [verb]
feel/be tired/hot/hungry etc
▪ I was very tired and I just wanted to sleep.
▪ Stop the car - Ben feels sick!
▪ I know you’re hungry but you’ll just have to wait until dinner.
▪ If you’re feeling hot, go ahead and open the window.
feel well/better
▪ ‘How do you feel?’ ‘I feel much better now I’ve had some sleep.’
▷ experience /ɪkˈspɪ ə riəns/ [transitive verb] formal
to have a feeling of pain, sickness etc :
▪ He said that he had never experienced such pain before.
▪ Many cancer patients experience nausea following chemotherapy.
▷ come over all /kʌm ˈəʊvər ɔːl/ [verb phrase] British informal
come over all funny/weak/dizzy etc
to suddenly feel weak, tired, ill etc :
▪ I was standing at the bus stop when suddenly I came over all dizzy.
▪ I’m sorry. I missed what you said. I just came over all funny for a minute.
2. a physical feeling of heat, cold, tiredness, hunger etc
▷ feeling /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ [countable noun]
a physical feeling of heat, cold, tiredness etc :
▪ When he woke up, he was aware of a tight feeling in his chest.
feeling of
▪ One symptom of this illness is a general feeling of ill-health and tiredness.
▷ sensation /senˈseɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
a physical feeling, especially one that is unclear or difficult to describe :
▪ She felt a cold sensation as the icy water dripped down her back.
▪ A common sign of brain tumours is a tingly, numb sensation in the toes and fingertips.
sensation of
▪ The fear of pain can be worse than the sensation of pain.
3. how something feels when you touch it
▷ feel /fiːl/ [verb]
if something feels hot, soft, wet etc, this is the feeling it gives you when you touch it :
▪ Your forehead feels very hot - let’s check your temperature.
▪ The marble felt cold and smooth against her cheek.
feel like something
feel the same as
▪ The material feels just like silk.
4. experiencing physical feelings more than most people
▷ feel the heat/cold /ˌfiːl ðə ˈhiːt, ˈkəʊld/ [verb phrase]
to be affected by heat or cold more easily than most people, especially because you are old or because you are not used to it :
▪ As I get older I feel the cold more and more.
▪ It can get very hot in Spain at this time of year -- those English tourists must really be feeling the heat.
5. when you cannot feel anything in a part of your body
▷ numb /nʌm/ [adjective]
if part of your body is numb, it does not feel anything, for example because it is very cold or because your blood is not reaching it :
▪ His legs grew so numb he couldn’t move.
go numb
become numb
▪ It was so cold my fingers had gone numb.
▷ have no feeling /hæv ˌnəʊ ˈfiːlɪŋ/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to be unable to feel anything in a part of your body, usually permanently, and often because of an accident or illness :
▪ After the stroke, he had no feeling in his left side.
▪ When they found her the next morning, she had no feeling in her toes.
▷ can’t feel anything /ˌkɑːnt fiːl ˈeniθɪŋǁˌkænt-/ [verb phrase]
to not be able to feel pain, heat, touch etc in part of your body especially because it is hurt in some way :
▪ Since her motorbike accident, she can’t feel anything below the neck.
▪ The doctor pricked his toe with a pin, but he couldn’t feel anything.
▷ go to sleep /ˌgəʊ tə ˈsliːp/ [verb phrase] informal
if a part of your body, such as your arm or foot goes to sleep, you have no feeling in it, especially because it has been in the same position for a long time :
▪ Can you stop leaning on me please? My arm’s gone to sleep.
6. to feel happy/frightened/bored etc
▷ feel/be /fiːl, biː/ [verb]
be happy/frightened/bored etc
▪ Don’t be scared -- the dog won’t bite.
▪ Hazel was furious when I lost her camera.
feel happy/frightened/bored etc
▪ She’s feeling a little nervous about the wedding.
▪ I couldn’t help feeling a little sad when he left.
▪ You shouldn’t feel guilty - it wasn’t your fault.
▷ experience /ɪkˈspɪ ə riəns/ [transitive verb] formal
to feel a strong emotion such as joy, pride, or sorrow :
▪ I experienced a great sense of loss when my father died.
▪ When she was younger, my mother experienced a depression so severe she had to be hospitalized.
▷ be overcome with/by /biː əʊvəʳˈkʌm wɪð, baɪ/ [verb phrase]
to feel an emotion such as sadness or disappointment so strongly that you are unable to remain calm or think clearly :
▪ When Diana met the starving children she was overcome with pity and outrage.
▪ Suddenly, I was overcome by a feeling of panic.
▪ Receiving the prize in honour of her dead father, she was overcome with emotion.
▷ be burning with /biː ˈbɜːʳnɪŋ wɪð/ [verb phrase]
be burning with curiosity/desire/anger etc
to have an emotion that is so strong that it is very difficult to control :
▪ Martha was burning with curiosity but realized that now wasn’t the time to ask questions.
▷ give way to /ˌgɪv ˈweɪ tuː/ [verb phrase]
to let a strong emotion show or affect you, especially after you have been trying not to feel it or show it :
▪ Giving way to her grief, Anna burst into tears.
▪ He was ashamed to have given way to such feelings of self-pity.
▷ harbour British /harbor American /ˈhɑːʳbəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to have feelings, especially bad ones, in your mind for a long time :
▪ Parker is believed to harbor political ambitions.
▪ Some commuters still harbor resentment toward the protesters for blocking traffic and creating chaos.
harbour a grudge
▪ Taylor denied harbouring a grudge against his former boss.
▷ nurse /nɜːʳs/ [transitive verb not in passive] formal
nurse resentment/anger/a grievance/a grudge
to have angry feelings for a long time but not express them :
▪ Police believe the suspect nursed a grudge against women.
▪ She never nurses a grievance or plans revenge.
7. a feeling of happiness, anger, fear etc
▷ feeling /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ [countable noun]
something that you feel, for example happiness, anger, or fear :
▪ It was a wonderful feeling to be home again.
express your feelings
▪ Many men find it hard to express their feelings.
a feeling of horror/sadness/accomplishment etc
▪ Regular exercise gives a feeling of accomplishment.
▪ After less than a week away, he began to have feelings of homesickness.
▷ emotion /ɪˈməʊʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a strong serious feeling such as love, hate, or anger that is often difficult to control :
▪ She stared at him, overcome by emotion.
▪ Parents feel a mixture of emotions when their first child starts school.
▷ a sense of /ə ˈsens ɒv/ [noun phrase]
a particular kind of feeling, especially one that affects your behaviour :
▪ He felt a huge sense of relief after he finished his last exam.
▪ Children need to be given a sense of security.
▪ Both sides admitted there was a sense of urgency to end the strike quickly.
▪ He hated working for his father-in-law but he did it out of a sense of duty to his wife.
▷ passion /ˈpæʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
a strong and deeply felt emotion, especially a strong feeling of sexual love for someone or a strong belief in an idea or principle :
▪ He throws himself into his art with a creative passion.
▪ There is a common prejudice in this country that Italians display their passions more readily than the English.
passion for
▪ Despite his passion for Carolyn, Mark never seriously considered leaving his wife for her.
with a passion
▪ She hated her ex-husband with a passion.
8. a general feeling among a group of people
▷ atmosphere /ˈætməsfɪəʳ/ [singular/uncountable noun]
the general feeling among the people in a place, or the feeling you get from being in a particular place :
▪ The atmosphere in the meeting was tense.
▪ The new owners have tried to give the restaurant a more family-friendly atmosphere.
atmosphere of
▪ We’re trying to create an atmosphere of trust between management and staff.
heated atmosphere
when people in a place have very strong and often angry feelings
▪ the heated atmosphere of the House of Commons
▷ mood /muːd/ [singular noun]
the way a group of people feels about something at a particular time :
▪ Pessimism replaced the mood of democratic optimism that existed before World War I.
▪ Mondovi provoked severe unrest, contributing to the rebellious mood of the entire region.
the political/religious etc mood
▪ Labor leaders figured that given the political mood of the time, Truman was the best candidate.
the general/public/popular/national mood
one felt by most people in a country or region
▪ In keeping with the general mood of the time, these novels tended to sentimentalize the past.
▷ ambience /ˈæmbiəns/ [singular/uncountable noun]
the feeling you get from a particular place, because of the way it looks, sounds, smells etc, and because of the way people treat you when you are there :
▪ The restaurant’s ambience makes you feel you’re sitting down to dinner in the dining room of an old friend.
▪ Winnetka has that small-town ambience of tree-lined streets and a one-street shopping district that you can’t find in suburbia.
▪ Ambience is as important to a business’s success as the product you sell.
9. behaving in a way that shows strong feelings
▷ emotional /ɪˈməʊʃ ə nəl/ [adjective]
behaving in a way that shows that you have strong feelings about something, for example by crying or shouting :
▪ Grandpa gets very emotional when he talks about the war.
emotional outburst
a sudden powerful expression of strong emotion
▪ In an emotional outburst, Shahidi told reporters she now had no life worth living.
emotionally [adverb]
▪ Imran shook my hand and said emotionally, ‘I’ll miss you, my friend.’
▪ One of his problems is he always reacts too emotionally to things.
▷ passionate /ˈpæʃ ə nɪt, ˈpæʃ ə nət/ [adjective]
use this about people who openly show very strong feelings about something, especially love or anger :
▪ She was a handsome Spanish woman with a passionate nature and a warm, generous heart.
▪ Sometimes I wish he was more passionate, not so rational about everything.
passionately [adverb]
▪ She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately.
▪ The new MP argued passionately for better housing, education, and welfare services for the poor.
▷ with feeling /wɪð ˈfiːlɪŋ/ [adverb]
if you say, do, or write something with feeling, you do it in a way that shows you have strong feelings about it :
▪ I want you to sing it once more, this time with feeling.
▪ She writes with great feeling about the fate of the refugees, having been a refugee herself in the last year.
▷ impassioned /ɪmˈpæʃ ə nd/ [adjective]
an impassioned speech, request, argument etc is full of strong feeling and emotion :
▪ Robins criticized the investigation during an impassioned speech outside police headquarters.
▪ Moore gave an impassioned defense of the government’s role in the affair.
an impassioned supporter/defender/champion of something
▪ Muir was an impassioned and persuasive champion of wilderness preservation.
10. events and situations that make people have strong feelings
▷ emotional /ɪˈməʊʃ ə nəl/ [adjective]
an emotional event or situation makes people feel strong emotions :
▪ The council’s vote came after nearly six hours of emotional debate.
▪ Newspaper reporters were there to record the emotional reunion between the woman and her children.
highly emotional
▪ Most couples remember the arrival of their first baby as a highly emotional time.
▷ moving /ˈmuːvɪŋ/ [adjective]
a moving account, experience, or event makes people feel strong emotions of pity, sadness, or joy :
▪ The book is a very moving account of life in the refugee camps of Thailand.
▪ After the final game there was a moving tribute to one of the players, who died tragically during the season.
▪ The scene at the end of Act III is very moving, when Rafaella finds out that her husband has betrayed her.
▷ touching /ˈtʌtʃɪŋ/ [adjective]
a touching event or moment makes people feel a little sad and happy at the same time, and makes them like the people involved :
▪ It was a touching scene when old Mr Adams received his leaving present.
▪ It was touching to see them together. They were obviously still in love after thirty years of marriage.
▷ emotive /ɪˈməʊtɪv/ [adjective]
emotive issue/area/phrase etc
a subject, statement, use of language etc that makes people have very strong feelings or emotions, especially of anger :
▪ The candidates agreed to avoid emotive issues like abortion and child abuse.
highly emotive
very emotive
▪ The documentary deliberately uses highly emotive language, talking about ‘exploitation' and ’blackmail'.
▷ poignant /ˈpɔɪnjənt/ [adjective] especially written
a poignant event, image, remark etc makes you feel great sadness and pity :
▪ This is one of her most beautiful and poignant works.
▪ In a poignant moment, Richter interrupted his speech to thank his mother and father.
poignantly [adverb]
▪ His remarkable life and tragic death poignantly express the hopes and disappointments of a whole generation.
11. too easily influenced by emotions
▷ sentimental /ˌsentɪˈmentl◂, ˌsentəˈmentl◂/ [adjective]
someone who is sentimental is too easily affected by emotions such as sympathy, love, or sadness :
▪ My father became increasingly sentimental as he got older and his friends died off.
sentimental about
▪ Ramos admitted he was sentimental about his old school and was sad to see it torn down.
▷ sentimentality /ˌsentɪmenˈtæləti, ˌsentəmenˈtæləti/ [uncountable noun]
a tendency to become emotional and to enjoy feelings such as sadness, sympathy, and self-pity, especially in a way that other people think is silly :
▪ The film is flawed by moments of melodrama and sentimentality.
▪ He talked about his homeland with all the sentimentality of an expatriate.
sentimentality about
▪ He has no sentimentality about firing unproductive employees, even those who have worked for the company for years.
▷ soppy /ˈsɒpiǁˈsɑːpi/ [adjective] informal
someone who is soppy seems silly to other people, because they express feelings of love or sympathy too strongly :
▪ After a few drinks, he got all soppy and started talking about the "good old days’.
soppy about
▪ I was heartbroken when our dog died but I was determined not to be soppy about it.
▷ gooey /ˈguːi/ [adjective] British informal
expressing your love for someone, especially a baby, in a way that other people think is silly :
▪ Babies make her go all gooey.
▷ drama queen /ˈdrɑːmə kwiːn/ [countable noun] informal
someone who becomes very excited, upset, or angry about things that are not important, especially in order to make people notice them or feel sympathy for them :
▪ Stop being such a drama queen! It’s not the end of the world!
12. a story, film, song etc that is full of feelings of love or sadness
▷ sentimental /ˌsentɪˈmentl◂, ˌsentəˈmentl◂/ [adjective]
dealing with emotions such as love and sadness in a way that seems silly and insincere :
▪ I quite enjoyed the movie but I thought the ending was a little sentimental.
▪ From the living room came the sound of a deep male voice singing a sentimental ballad.
▷ soppy /ˈsɒpiǁˈsɑːpi/ [adjective] informal
a song, poem etc that is soppy seems silly to people because it expresses feelings of love and sympathy too strongly but in a way that does not seem serious :
▪ She never tired of listening to soppy love songs.
▪ I couldn’t think of anything else so I just bought her a soppy card and some flowers.
▷ tearjerker /ˈtɪəʳˌdʒɜːʳkəʳ/ [countable noun] informal
a story, play, film etc that is intended to make people feel sad and cry :
▪ His latest movie is a typical Hollywood tearjerker.
13. not showing your feelings
▷ unemotional /ˌʌnɪˈməʊʃ ə nəl◂/ [adjective]
not showing your feelings :
▪ Police were shocked at the unemotional way the murderer described the killings.
▪ Pat’s father was a distant, unemotional man who couldn’t really talk to his children.
unemotionally [adverb]
▪ The witness answered most questions unemotionally with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
▷ cold /kəʊld/ [adjective]
not showing any feelings and especially not showing friendliness, humour, or pleasure :
▪ She accused me of being cold and uncaring towards her.
▪ The officers were cold and aloof in their dealings with other ranks.
▪ The English are often unfairly stereotyped as cold, reserved people.
coldly [adverb]
▪ The woman coldly told us to mind our own business.
▷ clinical /ˈklɪnɪk ə l/ [adjective]
not showing the feelings that people usually show in an upsetting situation, because you have to do a job or because you really have no feelings about the situation :
▪ His words were harsh and clinical -- ‘I don’t love you any more. It is over. I am leaving you.’
clinically [adverb]
▪ ‘Are you Mrs Wood?’ the officer asked clinically. ‘Your son Thomas is dead.’
▷ matter-of-fact /ˌmætər əv ˈfækt◂/ [adjective]
showing no emotion when you are talking about something that is very frightening, embarrassing etc :
▪ We were surprised at the matter-of-fact way Judith described her husband’s death.
▪ A spokesman listed the casualties in a detached, matter-of-fact tone of voice.
▪ The condom advertising campaign is going to be very straightforward and as matter-of-fact as possible.
▷ detached /dɪˈtætʃt/ [adjective]
trying not to react in an emotional way, so that you can do your job properly or make the correct decisions about something :
▪ You’ll never be a good lawyer until you learn to be more detached.
▪ Witnessing all the pain and suffering, it is sometimes difficult for relief workers to remain detached.
▷ impassive /ɪmˈpæsɪv/ [adjective]
not allowing your feelings to show on your face, so that it is very difficult for people to guess how you feel :
▪ Mr Deacon remained impassive throughout the performance.
▪ Her impassive face showed no sign of reaction to the verdict.
impassively [adverb]
▪ The three men sat impassively watching their captors.
▷ unmoved /ʌnˈmuːvd/ [adjective]
feeling no pity, sadness, or sympathy, in a situation where most people would feel this :
▪ The defendant’s claims of self-defense left the jury unmoved.
▪ How can anyone remain unmoved by pictures of starving children on our TV screens?
unmoved by
▪ Unmoved by his pleas, Lucy strolled out of the room.