Synonym Chooser

How is the word emotion distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of emotion are affection, feeling, passion, and sentiment. While all these words mean "a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation," 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

When might affection be a better fit than emotion?

While in some cases nearly identical to emotion, affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.

a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

Where would feeling be a reasonable alternative to emotion?

The meanings of feeling and emotion largely overlap; however, 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

When is it sensible to use passion instead of emotion?

While the synonyms passion and emotion are close in meaning, passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.

revenge became his ruling passion

When is sentiment a more appropriate choice than emotion?

In some situations, the words sentiment and emotion are roughly equivalent. However, sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.

her feminist sentiments are well known

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of emotion The show of emotion notably implies that Ka-young is no longer a psychopath. Kayti Burt, Time, 3 Oct. 2025 TwelveLabs’ technology uniquely reduces that friction, surfacing the right scene faster, flagging potential issues earlier, and clearing the path so creators can focus more of their energy on emotion, framing, and story arcs. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025 Goodall spoke of animals as having emotions and cultures, and in the case of chimps, communities that were almost tribal. Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025 Chen was overcome with emotion at the Camden International Film Festival after his film was announced as the winner of the prestigious Harrell Award. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for emotion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emotion
Noun
  • In fact, there was a feeling that world football lacked not merely great teams, but great players.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Movement also helps reduce feelings of anxiety.
    Carley Millhone, Health, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Other benefits of acupuncture were pain intensity reduction, an improvement of physical functions, and fewer anxiety symptoms.
    Ashley J. DiMella, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • So there’s certainly more intensity and more gore.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The absurdity of the situation struck a chord with viewers, many of whom suggested that the man’s reaction was a symptom of extreme stress.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The Grammy award-winning country singer is striking a political chord in the immigration debate.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • While some people shared Musk’s enthusiasm, others criticized the decision.
    Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Stein, for now, was happy to accept Dodge’s enthusiasm.
    Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Growing up, and well into my early adulthood, my grandma was my best friend—a person who fostered a sense of confidence in me, loved me unconditionally, and gave me the best taste in everything nostalgic from her younger years.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The final finished 14-14, but my abiding memory is the intoxicating swirl of noise and colour created by almost 93,000 fans, plus the sense of anticipation that accompanied the pre-match walk up Olympic Way.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Honey ginger chicken with brown rice is easy to make and your home will be filled with aromas that hint of warmth and coziness.
    Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025
  • My focus was always trying to bring the kind of complexities of the kink world to the screen…trying to find the warmth in that community rather than be like Prince Albert, whips, chains, and gags.
    Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Can a player with such high-level talent supplement his passion with winning focus?
    Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Her discovery, her self-creation, her passion, and emergence as an artist felt braided with what had originally fascinated me about paint-making.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Monster has debuted into this very fraught political moment where, despite no evidence showing a link between violence and transness, right-wingers have gone to great pains to paint almost every mass shooter who makes front page news as trans in hopes of stripping trans people of their rights.
    Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 7 Oct. 2025
  • Companies can now detect many types of incidents involving violence in a few seconds, although some complex situations, such as self-harm and suicide, remain difficult to address through automation.
    John Wihbey, Big Think, 7 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Emotion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emotion. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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