affection

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