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

• 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

During the interview with Apter at Glory Days/Grapple Con 3, Windham's uncle, Barry, got emotional thinking about the late wrestler. —Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2025

Whether through an honest conversation or an unexpected emotional release, this transit helps dissolve walls and toxic barriers, revealing what’s actually hiding beneath the mystery. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025

Research finds that building and maintaining stable, healthy relationships increases resilience and emotional wellbeing. —Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 29 Oct. 2025

Jamie Lee Curtis claims her emotional response to Charlie Kirk’s death was misconstrued. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing emotional

• emotional blackmail
• emotional intelligence
• emotional quotient
• 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