emotional

adjective

emo·​tion·​al i-ˈmō-sh(ə-)nəl 

1

: of or relating to emotion

an emotional disorder

2

: dominated by or prone to emotion

an emotional person

3

: appealing to or arousing emotion

an emotional sermon

4

: markedly aroused or agitated in feeling or sensibilities

gets emotional at weddings

emotionally

i-ˈmō-sh(ə-)nə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of emotional

• passionate
• passional
• warm
• intense
• religious
• fervent
• demonstrative

Examples of emotional in a Sentence

He's a very emotional person.

worship at revival meetings often takes a markedly emotional form

Recent Examples on the Web

Later, the Moon opposes Uranus in your 4th House of Home and Family, so a household need, emotional update, or living-space issue may interrupt your agenda. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026

Jack Coleman, who co-starred in the sci-fi drama Heroes alongside Hayden Panettiere, mourned the actress’ death at age 36 in an emotional tribute. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026

In his view, many teens are approaching these chatbots for emotional support, but problems arise because these products were not intended for that purpose. — Alex Hartman, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026

Their rare artistic bond offers an intimate perspective on defining events of 20th-century Europe and Czechoslovakia, creating a hybrid documentary with broad cultural, historical and emotional appeal. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing emotional

• emotional blackmail
• emotional intelligence
• emotional quotient
• emotional support animal
• hyper-emotional

Rhymes for emotional

• devotional
• promotional
• motional
• notional
• unemotional

Kids Definition

emotional

adjective

emo·​tion·​al i-ˈmō-shnəl 

-shən-ᵊl

1

: of or relating to the emotions

an emotional upset

2

: likely to show or express emotion : easily moved

an emotional person

3

: causing one to feel emotion

an emotional speech

emotionally

-ē 

adverb