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
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
Using a Negroni and up to two glasses of Malbec, get through pre-appetizer chitchat, group ordering, salad, entrées, dessert, all the way to the Uber ride home, without oversharing or otherwise saying anything that will result in an emotional hangover the next morning.
—
Charles Yu, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
The most emotional moment of the night came from Dave Chappelle, who worked with Murphy’s brother, Charlie, on the revolutionary Chappelle’s Show on Comedy Central.
—John Ross, Vanity Fair, 19 Apr. 2026
Rather than documenting events objectively, my work conveys the emotional forces that determine which moments linger.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
His favorite Harry Potter film of all time is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, a fitting choice given the emotional climax of the series.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for emotional
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Charles Yu, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
The most emotional moment of the night came from Dave Chappelle, who worked with Murphy’s brother, Charlie, on the revolutionary Chappelle’s Show on Comedy Central.
—John Ross, Vanity Fair, 19 Apr. 2026
Rather than documenting events objectively, my work conveys the emotional forces that determine which moments linger.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
His favorite Harry Potter film of all time is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, a fitting choice given the emotional climax of the series.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for emotional
Cite this Entry
“Emotional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emotional. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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