Emotions are defined as feelings that are not directed towards anything in particular

emo·​tion | \ i-ˈmō-shən

Emotions are defined as feelings that are not directed towards anything in particular
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Definition of emotion

1a : a conscious mental reaction (such as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body

b : a state of feeling

c : the affective aspect of consciousness : feeling

Choose the Right Synonym for emotion

feeling, emotion, affection, sentiment, passion mean a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation. feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it. the feelings that once moved me are gone emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses. the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings. a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea. her feminist sentiments are well known passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion. revenge became his ruling passion

Examples of emotion in a Sentence

a display of raw emotion The defendant showed no emotion when the verdict was read. She was overcome with emotion at the news of her friend's death.

Recent Examples on the Web Parenthood is, to me, a dyad that creates the most complex and fascinating spectrum of emotion in a person’s life. John Hopewell, Variety, 15 Oct. 2022 Voices capable of conveying such depth of emotion rarely are. Adam Bradley Adam Bradley Photographs By D’angelo Lovell Williams Styled By Ian Bradley Nick Haramis Photographs By Lise Sarfati Styled By Suzanne Koller Sasha Weiss Photographs By Justin French Susan Dominus Photographs By Luis Alberto Rodriguez Styled By Charlotte Collet, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2022 Wendy Chun suggests, mutual indifference might produce social networks that are organized less around intensities of emotion and other types of content designed to trigger strong reactions than ones that are de-intensified. Tung-hui Hu, WIRED, 12 Oct. 2022 This emotion has caused a lot of people to make irrational decisions. Confidence Staveley, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2022 But a ceremony on Saturday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the history-making wildlife refuge and bird sanctuary unleashed plenty of emotion among attendees. Danielle Echeverria, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Oct. 2022 In the moments after his team produced a 94-yard game-winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter against Fresno State, UConn offensive coordinator Nick Charlton was full of emotion. Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 7 Oct. 2022 There’s a range of emotion from that couple of years. Ana Monroy Yglesias, Billboard, 6 Oct. 2022 There were a lot of layers in Cadillac to give this beautiful emotion of the brand. Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 26 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'emotion.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of emotion

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

History and Etymology for emotion

Middle French, from emouvoir to stir up, from Old French esmovoir, from Latin emovēre to remove, displace, from e- + movēre to move

Learn More About emotion

Statistics for emotion

Cite this Entry

“Emotion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emotion. Accessed 29 Oct. 2022.

More Definitions for emotion

emo·​tion | \ i-ˈmō-shən \

Kids Definition of emotion

2 : a mental reaction (as anger or fear) marked by strong feeling and usually causing physical effects

emo·​tion | \ i-ˈmō-shən \

Medical Definition of emotion

1 : the affective aspect of consciousness

2 : a state of feeling

3 : a conscious mental reaction (as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body — compare affect

Other Words from emotion

emotional \ -​shnəl, -​shən-​ᵊl \ adjective

emotionality \ -​ˌmō-​shə-​ˈnal-​ət-​ē \ noun, plural emotionalities

emotionally \ -​ˈmō-​shnə-​lē, -​shən-​ᵊl-​ē \ adverb

Can you have emotions but not feelings?

As a condition marked by lack of feelings, it can be difficult to recognize the symptoms of alexithymia. Since this condition is associated with an inability to express feelings, an affected person might come across as being out of touch or apathetic.

What is not feeling anything called?

Apathetic means uncaring. It's an adjective form of apathy—the state of not caring. It can also mean the absence or suppression of emotion or passion. Apathetic is especially used to describe people with a lack of interest or concern about things, especially those that others find important or exciting.

What is feelings According to psychology?

feeling, in psychology, the perception of events within the body, closely related to emotion.

Are defined by the text as intense feelings directed at a specific object or person?

Emotions are intense feelings that are directed at specific objects or situations, while mood is a state of feeling that is less intense than emotions and more generalized.