Feelings in Depth — B1 Essential Words
Ten essential B1 words (Feelings) with the complete apparatus: pronunciation, simple definitions, natural American examples, collocations, family, the common mistake and spoken usage — plus a 15-question practice quiz. Mark your status on every word.
amazed /əˈmeɪzd/ adjective B1 Feelings
Meaning: Very surprised and full of admiration, usually in a positive way.
Example: I was amazed by her voice.
Another example: They watched, amazed, as the rocket rose.
Collocations: amazed by · amazed at · absolutely amazed
Synonyms: astonished, stunned (stronger), impressed
Antonyms: unimpressed, bored
Word family: amazing (adj — the thing) · amazement (n) · amaze (v)
⚠ Common mistake: Amazed is the feeling (I am amazed); AMAZING is the thing (the view is amazing) — the pair learners swap daily.
🗣 In spoken American English: 'You amaze me' is praise at its warmest.
Register: Neutral — feelings essential.
confused /kənˈfjuːzd/ adjective B1 Feelings
Meaning: Unable to understand something or think clearly about it.
Example: The instructions left everyone confused.
Another example: I'm confused — is the meeting today or tomorrow?
Collocations: confused about · get confused · confused look
Synonyms: puzzled, mixed up, lost
Antonyms: clear, sure, certain
Word family: confusing (adj — the thing) · confusion (n) · confuse (v)
⚠ Common mistake: Confused (me) vs confusing (the thing): the map is confusing, so I am confused. Same -ed/-ing rule as amazed.
🗣 In spoken American English: 'I'm confused' is a brave, useful sentence — say it early in any class.
Register: Neutral — learning essential.
delighted /dɪˈlaɪtɪd/ adjective B1 Feelings
Meaning: Very pleased and happy.
Example: She was delighted with the results.
Another example: We're delighted to welcome you.
Collocations: delighted with · delighted to · absolutely delighted
Synonyms: thrilled, overjoyed, pleased (weaker)
Antonyms: disappointed, upset
Word family: delight (n/v) · delightful (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: Delighted is pleased at full volume — formal letters love it: 'We are delighted to announce…'
🗣 In spoken American English: Hosts open doors with it; award letters begin with it.
Register: Neutral to formal — warm feelings.
shocked /ʃɒkt/ adjective B1 Feelings
Meaning: Very surprised and upset by something unexpected and usually bad.
Example: We were shocked by the news of the accident.
Another example: She looked shocked when she saw the bill.
Collocations: shocked by · shocked at · deeply shocked
Synonyms: stunned, horrified, taken aback
Antonyms: prepared, calm
Word family: shock (n/v) · shocking (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: Shocked is stronger and darker than surprised — for bad news. 'In shock' medically means the body's dangerous state after injury.
🗣 In spoken American English: Headlines spend it daily; families feel it rarely and remember it forever.
Register: Neutral — feelings essential.
terrified /ˈterɪfaɪd/ adjective B1 Feelings
Meaning: Extremely frightened.
Example: She's terrified of spiders.
Another example: The child was terrified of the dark.
Collocations: terrified of · terrified by · absolutely terrified
Synonyms: petrified, horrified, frightened (weaker)
Antonyms: brave, calm, fearless
Word family: terrify (v) · terror (n) · terrifying (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: The fear ladder: worried → afraid → frightened → terrified. Terrified is the top — don't spend it on small fears.
🗣 In spoken American English: Horror movies sell it by the ticket; heights give it free.
Register: Neutral — fear essential.
homesick /ˈhəʊmsɪk/ adjective B1 Feelings
Meaning: Sad because you are away from home and miss your family and place.
Example: The student felt homesick in her first month abroad.
Another example: Campers sometimes get homesick at night.
Collocations: feel homesick · homesick for · a little homesick
Synonyms: longing for home, nostalgic (for past times)
Antonyms: settled, at home
Word family: homesickness (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Homesick is about PLACE and people left behind; nostalgia is about TIMES past. Both ache the same way.
🗣 In spoken American English: College freshmen in September, soldiers always — the feeling has no age limit.
Register: Neutral — feelings of travel and study.
cheerful /ˈtʃɪərfəl/ adjective B1 Feelings
Meaning: Happy and positive in a way that other people can feel; bright and pleasant.
Example: She's always cheerful in the morning.
Another example: The room's cheerful colors lifted our mood.
Collocations: cheerful person · cheerful smile · cheerful colors
Synonyms: bright, sunny, upbeat
Antonyms: gloomy, miserable, down
Word family: cheerfully (adv) · cheer (v/n)
⚠ Common mistake: Cheerful describes people AND things (rooms, colors, weather) — happiness you can see and hear.
🗣 In spoken American English: Cafes hire for it: a cheerful voice at 7 a.m. is worth gold.
Register: Neutral — warm feelings.
insecure /ˌɪnsɪˈkjʊər/ adjective B1 Feelings
Meaning: Not confident about yourself; worried that others judge you. Also not safe or firmly fixed.
Example: He feels insecure about his accent.
Another example: Teenagers are often insecure about looks.
Collocations: insecure about · feel insecure · deeply insecure
Synonyms: unconfident, self-conscious, anxious
Antonyms: confident, secure, self-assured
Word family: insecurity (n) · secure (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: Two uses: feelings (insecure about my English) and safety (an insecure password/ladder). People-heavy contexts mean the feeling.
🗣 In spoken American English: Social media feeds it; real friends starve it.
Register: Neutral — modern feelings essential.
tense /tens/ adjective B1 Feelings
Meaning: Nervous and unable to relax; (of a situation) full of worry and possible conflict. Also a grammar word: verb forms showing time.
Example: The room was tense before the results.
Another example: His shoulders are tense from stress.
Collocations: a tense moment · tense atmosphere · feel tense
Synonyms: strained, nervous, tight
Antonyms: relaxed, calm, easy
Word family: tension (n) · tensely (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: Bodies and rooms both get tense. Grammar's tense (past/present) is the same spelling — different classroom.
🗣 In spoken American English: Movies build careers on it: a tense scene keeps everyone silent.
Register: Neutral — feelings and atmosphere.
dizzy /ˈdɪzi/ adjective B1 Feelings
Meaning: Feeling that everything is turning around you and that you might fall; unable to balance.
Example: The spin made the children dizzy.
Another example: I stood up too fast and felt dizzy.
Collocations: feel dizzy · dizzy spell · dizzy from
Synonyms: lightheaded, unsteady, faint
Antonyms: steady, balanced
Word family: dizziness (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Dizzy is a body-feeling: the world spins. Tell a doctor when it happens often — it is a symptom worth naming clearly.
🗣 In spoken American English: Playgrounds manufacture it; fevers deliver it.
Register: Neutral — health feelings essential.
Practice — Feelings in Depth
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