Lesson

Describing feelings and emotions 1

Express emotional states

≈ 15 min 8 block(s)

Text

Describing feelings and emotions — Introduction

This lesson focuses on common expressions and idioms used to describe feelings and emotions in everyday and business situations. You will learn which phrases are neutral (suitable for formal contexts) and which are idiomatic or informal, how to control intensity, and how to choose the right expression for the situation.

Recognize neutral adjectives (e.g., relieved, anxious) vs idiomatic expressions (e.g., on cloud nine).
Use appropriate register: formal vs informal.
Control intensity with adverbs and collocations (slightly, very, overwhelmed).

Table

Common expressions for feelings

Expression	Meaning	Example
feel + adjective	Describe an internal state	I feel anxious about the client meeting.
be + adjective	Describe someone's state or reaction	She was relieved when the contract was signed.
on cloud nine	Very happy (informal)	He was on cloud nine after the promotion.
down in the dumps	Feeling sad or depressed (informal)	The team was down in the dumps after the loss.
overwhelmed	Feeling unable to cope because of pressure	I'm overwhelmed by the workload this quarter.
under the weather	Feeling slightly ill or not well (informal)	She's a bit under the weather and won't join the meeting.

Tip

Key rule: Match expression to register

Choose neutral adjectives for formal contexts and idioms for informal conversations.

Use 'feel + adjective' for internal, personal states: I feel frustrated.
Use 'be + adjective' for states and reactions: He was surprised by the results.
Avoid idioms (on cloud nine, down in the dumps) in formal reports or emails.
Modify intensity with adverbs: slightly anxious, quite relieved, extremely pleased.

Think: match the phrase to the situation (formal vs informal).

Example

Examples in context

I'm relieved the project passed the audit.

She felt overwhelmed by the tight deadline.

He seemed anxious before the client presentation.

We're excited about the new partnership proposal.

Tip

Common mistakes to avoid

Learners often make predictable errors when describing emotions. Watch for these universal pitfalls:

Mixing -ed and -ing adjectives: use 'I am bored' vs 'I am boring' correctly.
Using informal idioms in formal writing: avoid phrases like 'on cloud nine' in reports.
Incorrect collocations: prefer 'feel relieved' rather than 'feel relief' in some contexts.
Overusing intensifiers (very, really) can sound weak or imprecise in business English.

Focus on collocations and register to sound natural and appropriate.

Quiz

Choose the sentence that is most appropriate for a formal email reporting good results:

Hint: Consider the tone required in professional emails.

Quiz

Complete: After the presentation, she _____ relieved.

Hint: Check which verb collocates with an adjective to describe a personal state.

Quiz

What does the idiom 'down in the dumps' mean?

Hint: Think about idioms that use downward images to describe mood.

Key Points

Vocabulary

relieved

adjective CEFR B1 //rɪˈliːvd//

Feeling reassured after worry or stress is gone

I'm relieved the audit is finished.

Vocabulary

overwhelmed

adjective CEFR B2 //ˌəʊvərˈwɛlmd//

Feeling unable to cope because of a large amount of work or emotions

She was overwhelmed by the tight deadline.

Vocabulary

anxious

adjective CEFR B1 //ˈæŋkʃəs//

Feeling worried or nervous about something that may happen

The manager felt anxious before the board meeting.

Expression

on cloud nine

expression CEFR B2 //ɒn klaʊd naɪn//

Extremely happy (informal)

After hearing the good news, she was on cloud nine.

Expression

down in the dumps

expression CEFR B2 //daʊn ɪn ðə dʌmps//

Feeling sad or depressed (informal)

He was down in the dumps after the project's failure.

GrammarPoint

feel + adjective (collocation)

grammar_point CEFR B1 //fiːl ædˈʒɛktɪv//

Use 'feel' with adjectives to express internal emotional states (feel happy, feel anxious).

I feel optimistic about the quarter.