It’s always good to express yourself, whether you feel happy, sad, or mad. However, there are so many more complex emotions that people feel. Sure, you can probably express yourself with no problem right now, but sometimes when you are learning a new language, you may find it hard to express yourself just as freely. When learning English, it’s common to hear and use the words “mad,” “happy,” or “sad,” but what about when these words do not express your entire range of emotions? Here are a few words and phrases to use to better express your emotions.
Excited-
- Flying high: very happy
- To be pumped: very excited for something coming
- Over the moon: very excited
- On cloud nine: feeling complete happiness
- Jump for joy: so happy you feel as if you could literally jump in the air
Sad-
- Feeling blue: feeling sad
- Down in the dumps: to feel unhappy or hopeless
- At the end of my rope: feeling upset and that you are unable to deal with a situation any longer
- To reduce to tears: causing someone to become so upset that they cry
- I have a lump in my throat: to be so sad that you are unable to put your feelings into words
Angry-
- Bite someone’s head off: feeling very angry with someone
- At the end of my tether: fed up or done with something
- Drive up the wall: used to express that someone is irritating you a lot
- Seething: extremely angry inside, but not showing it on the outside
- Having a bone to pick with someone: have reason to disagree or be annoyed with someone
Scared-
- Afraid of my own shadow: so easily frightened that your shadow would scare you
- Butterflies in my stomach: this can either mean you are so very nervous or excited for something that is going to happen
- Heebie-jeebies: you can use this to express a feeling of fear or being uncomfortable
- Shaking in your boots: to be so scared that you are physically shaking
- Jumped out of my skin: to express a feeling of being so scared that you felt as if your whole body jumped without you moving
Confused/Surprised-
- Bewildered: very confused
- Nonplussed: so surprised that you don’t know what to do
- I don’t know whether to laugh or cry: to not know how to react in a situation
- Talking in riddles: when someone says something that is so confusing you don’t know what he/she means
- It’s all Greek to me: use this when you don’t understand something at all
Now that you know some common phrases to use to express your emotions, try them out! These common English words and phrases will help you to sound more like a native speaker.
Tagged: TOEFL class in Los Angeles
Published on June 30, 2021
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