emotional
gb/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl/ us/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl/
B1
English
~ 2400
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
having strong feelings
Having or showing strong feelings.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is emotional
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'emotional' with 'emotive'. 'Emotive' means causing strong emotions in others, while 'emotional' usually describes a person's feelings or reactions.
Synonyms
passionate (Often implies intense enthusiasm or commitment, not just general strong feelings.)
|
sentimental (Suggests being strongly influenced by tender feelings, often nostalgic.)
Antonyms
unemotional (Describes someone who does not show or feel strong emotions.)
Collocations
emotional response
|emotional support
|emotional state
|emotional connection
|highly emotional
Themes
emotions
|personality
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She became very emotional when talking about her childhood.
- The movie was so emotional that many people cried.
- He gave an emotional speech at the ceremony.
- It's hard to make good decisions when you're feeling too emotional.
Learner examples
- She felt emotional after hearing the news.
- The story made him emotional.
- I get emotional when I see my family.
- He was emotional at the wedding.
adjective
B2
property
2
related to feelings
About feelings instead of facts or logic.
Usage pattern:
[something] is emotional
Synonyms
affective (A more formal or technical term used in psychology for relating to emotions.)
Antonyms
rational (Focuses on logic and reasoning rather than feelings.)
Collocations
emotional needs
|emotional development
|emotional well-being
|emotional intelligence
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The decision was based on emotional factors, not evidence.
- Children require emotional support from their parents.
- He has strong emotional ties to his hometown.
Learner examples
- She made an emotional choice, not a logical one.
- We must think about the child's emotional health.
- Emotional needs are important for everyone.
Grammar
Dictionary form
emotional
IPA
GB/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl/
US/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl/
Syllables & stress
emo - tion - al (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (tion)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: emotional
Word family
Core family
emotion
noun B1
emotionally
adverb B1
Related words
emotive
adjective
emote
verb
Negative and opposite forms
unemotional
adjective
emotionless
adjective
Advanced or less common
emotionality
noun
Expressions
emotional support
1/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl səpˈɔɹt/
fixed phrase
comfort for someone's feelings
Kindness, care, or help you give to make someone feel better emotionally.
Examples
- After the accident, she needed a lot of emotional support from her friends.
- Pets can provide emotional support to people who live alone.
emotional baggage
1/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ/
idiom
informal
past negative feelings affecting now
Unresolved bad feelings from past experiences that still affect you today.
Examples
- He entered the relationship with a lot of emotional baggage from his divorce.
- It's important to deal with your emotional baggage before starting something new.
emotional baggage
2/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl bˈæɡɪd͡ʒ/
idiom
past emotional problems affecting you now
Bad feelings and problems from your past that still hurt you and change how you act today.
Examples
- She has a lot of emotional baggage from her childhood.
- Before starting a new relationship, he wanted to deal with his emotional baggage.
- Therapy can help you work through emotional baggage.
emotional roller coaster
1/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl ɹˈoʊlɚ kˈoʊstɚ/
idiom
informal
rapidly changing emotions
A situation where your feelings change quickly from happy to sad or excited to worried.
Examples
- The week before the wedding was an emotional roller coaster for her.
- The week before the wedding was an emotional roller coaster.
- Watching the game was an emotional roller coaster for the fans.
- Watching that series was an emotional roller coaster for me.
emotional roller coaster
2/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl ɹˈoʊlɚ kˈoʊstɚ/
idiom
time of many emotional ups and downs
A situation or time when your feelings change very quickly from happy to sad, relaxed to stressed, and so on.
Examples
- The first year after the baby was born was an emotional roller coaster for them.
- Breaking up with him has been an emotional roller coaster—one day I feel free, the next I feel lonely.
- Starting a new business can be an emotional roller coaster.