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

Our family is forever changed, and the emotional trauma will forever haunt us. —Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 17 Dec. 2025

One Chelsea source speaking to The Athletic suggested Maresca had had an ‘emotional response to an emotional win’. —Simon Johnson, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025

The lead-up to that change in April drew a packed public hearing where emotional testimony was spoken on both sides of the issue. —Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 17 Dec. 2025

Cannon’s second and third languages become stumbling blocks for the reader, and visual shortcuts for emotional distance. —E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 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