Video Transcript

And now some s… Now let’s look at some symon…

Hi everyone. Welcome back to English with Max.

In this video we’re going to look at 50 advanced adjectives to describe emotions.

This time I’m not going to give you an alphabetical list.

We’re going to look at groups of synonyms, for example, synonyms of “happy” and synonyms of “sad”.

Before we get started, I have something very exciting to announce.

I’ve just released an advanced vocabulary course on Udemy.

It’s technically a vocabulary preparation course for the TOEFL, but it will also be useful if you’re preparing for another English exam like the IELTS or the PTE, or if you’d just generally like to learn more English words.

If you’re watching this video, you’re probably interested in improving your vocabulary, but maybe you feel like you’ve gotten stuck, or that your vocabulary is just not improving.

That’s very, very common and it mainly happens because there are lots of words that native speakers know, but that we just don’t use every day.

Those words can be hard for English students to learn because you don’t hear or see them frequently.

Those are the types of words that I’ve included in this course.

The course has over six hours of videos, quizzes, pdf worksheets, as well as audio files that you can download so that you can hear the words repeated in various contexts.

For the next few days it will be available at the very low price of $9.99.

After that I will still offer discounts, but not quite as big.

This offer will end on the 2nd of December.

Udemy also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you start the course and you don’t think it’s for you, you will receive a 100 percent refund.

If you’d like to take advantage of this price, you just need to click the link in the description.

You can also click that link if you just want to see a preview of the course.

And now the adjectives.

As I said, in this video we’re going to look at groups of synonyms.

Learning synonyms of common words can be a great way to expand your vocabulary, but you do need to be a little careful because synonyms often have slightly different meanings.

Keep watching and you’ll see what I mean.

We’re going to start with synonyms of “happy”.

The first one is “cheerful”.

Cheerful.

This means happy and optimistic

 It can also be used to describe someone who clearly looks happy and positive.

So you can say, for example: I was a little sad yesterday, but I woke up feeling cheerful today.

He’s a cheerful man and I’ve rarely seen him in a bad mood.

A word that’s very similar to cheerful is “perky”.

Perky.

This is informal.

It means happy and full of energy.

For example: You’re looking very perky today. Are you looking forward to the party tonight?

Next we have “content”.

Content.

Be careful of the pronunciation.

There is a noun with the same spelling and that’s pronounced “CONtent”, but this adjective is pronounced “conTENT”.

It means pleased or satisfied.

If you can imagine a sort of calm happiness, that’s being content.

Nobody would call them rich, but they were very content with what they had.

Next we have “delighted”.

Delighted.

This means very pleased.

We use this when we are happy about a specific thing that has happened.

For example: George was delighted when his friends threw a surprise party for him.

The next words are “thrilled” and “overjoyed”.

Thrilled.

Overjoyed.

I’ve put these two words together because you can use them interchangeably.

My feeling is that “thrilled” is a bit more common nowadays, but you can still use “overjoyed”.

These are similar to “delighted”, but they’re a bit stronger.

They mean extremely pleased.

For example: Ethel was thrilled when her crush asked her out on a date.

You could also use “overjoyed” in that sentence.

We also often use “thrilled” sarcastically.

For example: My boss was thrilled when I told her I was quitting.

Next we have “ecstatic” and “elated”.

Ecstatic.

Elated.

Both of these mean extremely happy and excited.

For example: We were ecstatic when we found out that we’d won a holiday.

Now let’s see some words that mean the opposite.

These are synonyms of “sad”.

The first one is “down”.

Down. 

I’m sure you know this word.

It has lots of meanings, but you might not know that it can also mean sad.

Depending on the context, it can mean a bit sad or very sad.

I was feeling a little down, so I watched some cat videos to cheer myself up.

When Jake’s girlfriend broke up with him, he was really down for several months.

And now we have “gloomy”.

Gloomy.

This means sad and without hope.

I’ve been feeling rather gloomy lately.

It’s possibly because of all this grey weather.

Speaking of weather, “gloomy” can also be used to describe things such as the weather, a prediction (like an economic forecast) or a place.

A cemetery, for example, might be described as “gloomy”.

The next word is “miserable”.

Miserable.

This means very unhappy.

We often use it if we’re lonely, if we’re unhappy in a job, or even if we’re very cold.

She’s been miserable in her job, so she’s actively looking for a new one.

I got caught in the rain without an umbrella and I felt miserable by the time I got home.

It can also be used to describe things, like the weather or conditions.

For example: All the explorers returned alive, despite living in miserable conditions.

Another word that means very sad is “heartbroken”.

Heartbroken.

This means extremely unhappy because of something that has happened.

It’s often used in connection with relationships, but not always.

For example: Eric was heartbroken when he didn’t get into the university that he wanted to go to.

A similar word is “devastated”.

Devastated.

This means extremely sad and shocked.

We usually use it after something sad and unexpected happens, like a death, a divorce or even losing a job.

For example: Stella was devastated when she lost her job, because she’d worked so hard for the company.

A word that’s even stronger is “inconsolable”.

Inconsolable.

This means so sad that no one or nothing is able to comfort you.

For example: She was inconsolable after her partner left her.

There is also a Backstreet Boys song called “Inconsolable”.

And no, I am not ashamed that I know that.

Finally we have the word “sombre”.

Sombre.

It’s spelt a little differently in American English.

This word is used a little differently to the previous ones because you can’t actually say “I felt sombre” or “I was sombre”.

It means sad and serious, but it’s used to describe things.

Usually abstract things, like a mood, an atmosphere or a facial expression.

So you can say: She was in a sombre mood all day.

He had a sombre expression on his face,  so I asked him what was wrong.

A word that’s similar to “sad” is “disappointed”.

Let’s look at a few synonyms of “disappointed”.

First we have “let down”.

Let down.

This means disappointed because somebody didn’t do what you’d hoped or expected.

I felt really let down when my friend promised to help me move house, but didn’t show up until the afternoon.

I think the next word sounds a little funny.

This word is “disgruntled”.

Disgruntled.

It means disappointed and annoyed.

It’s often used to describe former employees or customers.

For example: Lots of disgruntled customers left angry reviews online.

Next we have “disillusioned”.

Disillusioned.

This means disappointed because you have lost your belief in or respect for a person or an idea.

For example: She joined the political party because she wanted to make a difference, but over time she grew more and more disillusioned with it.

Now let’s look at some synonyms of “angry”.

The first one is “cross”.

Cross.

This simply means annoyed or angry.

It’s mainly used in British English.

I got cross with Frank when he was late for the third time.

Next we have “mad”.

Mad.

This is informal.

It’s used a bit differently in British and American English.

In British English it usually means crazy or stupid.

You want to cycle up that mountain in this rain? Are you mad?

In American English it usually means angry.

Tony is mad at me because I spilled coffee on his desk.

Next we have “furious” and “infuriated”.

Furious.

Infuriated.

These mean very angry.

You can use them interchangeably.

For example: Ethel was furious when Frank hid her car keys from her.

Next we have “irate”.

Irate.

This also means very angry, but we mainly use it when people really show their anger.

It’s often used to describe very angry customers.

Dealing with complaints can be mentally exhausting, because you often have to deal with irate customers.

Now we have “upset”.

Upset.

I wasn’t sure whether I should put this with “sad” or “angry”, because it can actually mean either.

It depends on the context.

She was really upset when she lost her favourite necklace.

My boss was very upset when hardly anyone showed up for the meeting.

This word is “sullen”.

Sullen.

This is an interesting one because we only really use it to describe other people.

We don’t usually say things like “I feel sullen”.

This means angry and unwilling to talk to people.

There’s no point talking to Mike. He’s been sullen and uncooperative all day.

A word that’s similar to “angry”, but isn’t quite as strong is “annoyed”.

Let’s now look at a few synonyms of “annoyed”.

First we have “miffed” and “peeved”.

Miffed.

Peeved.

These are both informal.

They mean slightly annoyed.

In other words, they’re not very strong.

I was a bit miffed when she didn’t call me back.

You can make these a bit stronger, though, if you use a word like “so” or “really”.

For example: Ethel was really peeved at not being invited to the party.

Now we have “ticked off”.

Ticked off.

This is informal and it’s mainly used in American English.

It just means annoyed or angry.

It’s a more polite way of saying “pissed off”.

For example: He’s really ticked off about not getting the promotion.

This word is “irritated”.

Irritated.

This means annoyed and often impatient as well.

For example: Lots of people get irritated when they get stuck behind slow walkers.

Next we have “exasperated”.

Exasperated.

This means very annoyed and frustrated.

The politician was clearly becoming exasperated by all the reporters’ questions.

Now we’re going to look at some synonyms of “anxious”.

The first one is “apprehensive”.

Apprehensive.

This means worried or scared about the future or about something that you are going to do.

For example: She was a little apprehensive about asking for a loan.

Next we have “tense”.

Tense.

This means nervous or worried, and unable to relax.

For example: George hates flying and always feels very tense when he’s on a plane.

A similar word is “jittery”.

Jittery.

This also means worried or nervous, and unable to relax, but if someone’s jittery, you can often see it in their movements or behaviour.

It’s often when you can’t keep still.

For example: She looked a little jittery before the performance.

This word is “flustered”.

Flustered.

This means nervous and a bit confused, often because you don’t know what to do or because you’re in a hurry.

He was running late and he arrived at the meeting looking hot and flustered.

If someone’s flustered, they often look a bit like this.

Next we have “distressed”.

Distressed.

This means anxious and upset.

If somebody’s distressed, they’re experiencing quite strong emotions.

The witness to the crime was clearly distressed and unable to answer any questions at first.

Now we have “uneasy”.

Uneasy.

This means worried and/or uncomfortable.

We often use it if we don’t trust something or somebody, or if something makes us feel a bit embarrassed.

To be honest, I’ve never trusted her. She always made me feel a bit uneasy.

He felt uneasy about asking his parents for a loan.

And now some synonyms of “embarrassed”.

The first one is “ashamed”.

Ashamed.

This has a couple of meanings.

Firstly, it can mean embarrassed or guilty because of something that you have done.

For example: She felt deeply ashamed about the things that she said.

It can also mean uncomfortable because somebody connected with you did something wrong or embarrassing.

We often feel ashamed when people from our own country behave badly abroad.

Next we have “sheepish”.

Sheepish.

This means slightly embarrassed because you have done something silly or wrong.

Frank felt rather sheepish after he got drunk at the party and started swinging from the ceiling fan.

Next we have “humiliated”.

Humiliated.

This means very embarrassed.

For example: Ethel felt humiliated when she fell down the stairs in front of all those people.

Another word that can mean very embarrassed is “mortified”.

Mortified.

But “mortified” can also mean very offended or ashamed.

It depends on the context.

George was mortified when he heard some of his classmates gossiping about their teachers.

I was mortified when I realised the mistake that I had made.

Let’s now look at a few words for “confused”.

First we have “puzzled”.

Puzzled.

This means confused because you do not understand something.

For example: I was puzzled as to why all the trains were running late.

A similar word is “perplexed”.

Perplexed.

This means confused because you don’t understand something, and often worried as well.

I was perplexed when I saw that the neighbour’s light was on because he said he’d be away till the following week.

Next we have “baffled” and “bewildered”.

Baffled.

Bewildered.

Both of these mean very confused.

She was completely baffled as to why no one was in the office the next day except her.

And finally let’s look at some other ways to say “surprised”.

First we have “startled”.

Startled.

This means slightly shocked or scared because of something unexpected.

My colleague looked startled when I called out his name.

Next we have “amazed”, “astonished” and “astounded”.

Amazed.

Astonished.

Astounded.

All of these mean very surprised.

You can use these interchangeably.

“Astonished” and “astounded” are perhaps a little stronger than “amazed”, but these three basically all mean the same thing.

I was astonished when Frank did well in his exam, because he didn’t study very much.

And finally we have “dumbfounded” and “stunned”.

Dumbfounded.

Stunned.

These mean so surprised that you are unable to speak or react for a moment.

“Stunned” is a bit more common than “dumbfounded”, but they mean the same thing.

Ethel was stunned when she received the award, because she wasn’t expecting it at all.

That’s it, everyone.

I hope you found this useful.

Remember that if you’re interested in my advanced vocabulary course, you’ll find the link in the description.

Thanks very much for watching, everyone.

I’ll see you next time. Bye!

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