Emotions & Moods (Advanced) — B2 Essential Words
Ten essential B2 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.
anxious /ˈæŋkʃəs/ adjective B2 Feelings
Meaning: Worried and nervous because you think something bad might happen.
Example: She felt anxious before the exam results.
Another example: Parents are anxious about their children's safety.
Collocations: feel anxious · anxious about · anxious time
Synonyms: worried, nervous, uneasy
Antonyms: calm, relaxed, confident
Word family: anxiety (n) · anxiously (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: Anxious ABOUT problems; anxious TO do something means EAGER ('anxious to help') — context tells which feeling it is.
🗣 In spoken American English: Modern life word: people openly say 'I'm feeling anxious' — mental-health talk made it everyday.
Register: Neutral — health and conversation.
frustrated /frʌˈstreɪtɪd/ adjective B2 Feelings
Meaning: Annoyed and discouraged because you cannot do or achieve something you want.
Example: She felt frustrated by the slow internet.
Another example: Drivers get frustrated in traffic jams.
Collocations: feel frustrated · frustrated with · frustrated by
Synonyms: annoyed, discouraged, stuck
Antonyms: satisfied, encouraged
Word family: frustration (n) · frustrate (v) · frustrating (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: The person feels FRUSTRATED; the situation is FRUSTRATING. Mixing -ed/-ing here is the classic adjective error.
🗣 In spoken American English: 'So frustrating!' about tech, traffic, and paperwork — daily American fuel.
Register: Neutral — everyday emotion word.
relieved /rɪˈliːvd/ adjective B2 Feelings
Meaning: Feeling calm and happy because something bad has ended or did not happen.
Example: We were relieved when the plane landed safely.
Another example: She felt relieved after the exam ended.
Collocations: feel relieved · relieved to hear · relieved that
Synonyms: relaxed, glad, thankful
Antonyms: anxious, worried
Word family: relief (n) · relieve (v)
⚠ Common mistake: Relieved pairs with the bad thing ENDING: relieved that it was over. The noun is relief ('What a relief!').
🗣 In spoken American English: 'What a relief!' is the reflex phrase — after tests, storms, and close calls.
Register: Neutral — conversation essential.
ashamed /əˈʃeɪmd/ adjective B2 Feelings
Meaning: Feeling guilty and embarrassed because you did something wrong or foolish.
Example: He was ashamed of lying to his parents.
Another example: She felt ashamed after failing her friends.
Collocations: ashamed of · feel ashamed · deeply ashamed
Synonyms: embarrassed, guilty, sorry
Antonyms: proud
Word family: shame (n) · ashamedly (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: Ashamed OF yourself/actions; embarrassed ABOUT situations. Ashamed is deeper — moral weight; embarrassed is social and lighter.
🗣 In spoken American English: Apologies are built on it: 'I'm ashamed of what I did' is the strongest spoken sorry.
Register: Neutral — serious feeling word.
curious /ˈkjʊəriəs/ adjective B2 Feelings
Meaning: Wanting to know or learn about something; interested in discovering.
Example: Children are curious about everything.
Another example: I'm curious about her new project.
Collocations: curious about · curious to know · curious mind
Synonyms: interested, inquisitive, eager to learn
Antonyms: uninterested, indifferent
Word family: curiosity (n) · curiously (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: Curious ABOUT things, curious TO SEE/HEAR results. Calling a PERSON 'curious' alone can hint 'strange' in old-fashioned use — context matters.
🗣 In spoken American English: 'Just curious' softens questions everywhere: 'Just curious — how much did it cost?'
Register: Neutral — learning word.
overwhelmed /ˌəʊvərˈwelmd/ adjective B2 Feelings
Meaning: Feeling unable to cope because there is too much to do, think, or feel at once.
Example: New parents often feel overwhelmed.
Another example: She was overwhelmed by emails after vacation.
Collocations: feel overwhelmed · overwhelmed by · completely overwhelmed
Synonyms: swamped, stressed, flooded (figurative)
Antonyms: in control, calm
Word family: overwhelm (v) · overwhelming (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: Overwhelmed BY work/emotion. It can even be positive: 'overwhelmed by kindness' — too much of a good feeling.
🗣 In spoken American English: The honest modern sentence: 'I'm a bit overwhelmed this week.' Everyone understands it instantly.
Register: Neutral — work and mental-health talk.
miserable /ˈmɪzrəbəl/ adjective B2 Feelings
Meaning: Extremely unhappy or uncomfortable; making you feel that way.
Example: He felt miserable after the argument with his brother.
Another example: The cold rain made the campers miserable.
Collocations: feel miserable · miserable weather · miserable day
Synonyms: wretched, very unhappy, depressed
Antonyms: delighted, cheerful
Word family: misery (n) · miserably (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: Miserable covers people (sad) and weather (awful): a miserable day is cold, wet, and grey. Stronger than sad, weaker than devastated.
🗣 In spoken American English: British-American shared everyday word — rain and Mondays earn it everywhere.
Register: Neutral — feelings and weather.
thrilled /θrɪld/ adjective B2 Feelings
Meaning: Extremely excited and happy about something.
Example: She was thrilled to win the award.
Another example: We're thrilled about the baby news.
Collocations: thrilled to · thrilled about · absolutely thrilled
Synonyms: delighted, excited, overjoyed
Antonyms: devastated, disappointed
Word family: thrill (n/v) · thrilling (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: Thrilled is STRONGER than happy — save it for real highs. Pattern: thrilled TO + verb, thrilled ABOUT + noun.
🗣 In spoken American English: The professional happy word: 'We're thrilled to announce…' opens a thousand good-news posts.
Register: Neutral — announcements and conversation.
furious /ˈfjʊəriəs/ adjective B2 Feelings
Meaning: Extremely angry.
Example: His father was furious about the broken car window.
Another example: Customers were furious at the price increase.
Collocations: furious with · furious about · absolutely furious
Synonyms: enraged, livid, furious (stronger than angry)
Antonyms: calm, pleased
Word family: fury (n) · furiously (adv)
⚠ Common mistake: Furious is the top of the anger scale: annoyed < angry < furious. Furious WITH a person, furious ABOUT a thing.
🗣 In spoken American English: Headlines pair it with protests and prices: 'Fans furious over ticket prices.'
Register: Neutral — strong emotion word.
satisfied /ˈsætɪsfaɪd/ adjective B2 Feelings
Meaning: Happy and content because something is as good as you wanted or needed.
Example: The customer left satisfied with the repair.
Another example: Are you satisfied with the results?
Collocations: satisfied with · satisfied customer · fully satisfied
Synonyms: content, pleased, happy
Antonyms: dissatisfied, disappointed
Word family: satisfaction (n) · satisfy (v) · satisfying (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: Satisfied WITH results/service. It is calmer than thrilled — things are good ENOUGH, and that's a compliment in business.
🗣 In spoken American English: Surveys measure it: 'How satisfied are you?' is the question under every purchase.
Register: Neutral — service and reviews essential.
Practice — Emotions & Moods (Advanced)
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