emotion

[ ih-moh-shuhn ]

noun

1. an affective state of consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, hate, or the like, is experienced, as distinguished from cognitive and volitional states of consciousness.
2. any of the feelings of joy, sorrow, fear, hate, love, etc.
3. any strong agitation of the feelings actuated by experiencing love, hate, fear, etc., and usually accompanied by certain physiological changes, as increased heartbeat or respiration, and often overt manifestation, as crying or shaking.
4. an instance of this.
5. something that causes such a reaction:

   the powerful emotion of a great symphony.

emotion

/ ɪˈməʊʃən /

noun

1. any strong feeling, as of joy, sorrow, or fear

emotion

/ ĭ-mō′shən /

1. A psychological state that arises spontaneously rather than through conscious effort and is sometimes accompanied by physiological changes; a feeling.

Derived Forms

• eˈmotionless, adjective

Other Words From

• e·motion·a·ble adjective
• e·motion·less adjective
• pree·motion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of emotion¹

First recorded in 1570–80; apparently from Middle French esmotion, from esmovoir “to set in motion, move the feelings,” from Vulgar Latin exmovēre (unrecorded; literary Latin ēmovēre ); e- ¹( def ), move ( def ), motion ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of emotion¹

C16: from French, from Old French esmovoir to excite, from Latin ēmovēre to disturb, from movēre to move

Example Sentences

In describing his unusually positive experiences during the pandemic, when he married and became a father, Yoakam’s voice became strained by emotion.

From Los Angeles Times

Ms Lock said they felt people wanted "a bit of emotion and sentimentality" after "a tough year, with global conflict and an economic crisis".

From BBC

There’s always a lot of emotion that goes into making pasta, it’s a very personal thing and I think it shows in every pasta dish we serve here.

From Salon

Redmayne says she has “an effervescence and a dexterity and can play all colors of emotion,” which was why she felt right for Bianca.

From Los Angeles Times

It demonstrates that love, though perhaps the world’s most beautiful emotion, is not necessarily the most important one, at least not when oppressive politics become involved.

From Salon

Related Words

• affection
• anger
• concern
• desire
• despair
• empathy
• excitement
• feeling
• fervor
• grief
• happiness
• joy
• love
• passion
• pride
• rage
• remorse
• sadness
• sentiment
• shame