emotional

adjective

i-ˈmō-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce emotional (audio)
Definition of emotionalnext
1
as in passionate
having or expressing great depth of feeling worship at revival meetings often takes a markedly emotional form

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in impressive
having the power to affect the feelings or sympathies in one emotional scene in the movie the boy must say goodbye to his extraterrestrial friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in affectionate
showing feeling freely the fact that he is not a very emotional person does not mean that he is not a loving, caring father

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of emotional Well, ‘It’s been emotional’ has become one of the British icon sayings of movie history, which is fantastic. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026 Few people associate railway logistics with emotional storytelling. — Connie Etemadi, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2026 The early trailer rapidly gained more than 90 million views on YouTube, galvanized by people awed by the apparent scale and emotional depth of Laika’s most ambitious film yet. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026 What kind of emotional impact did writing this show have on you? — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for emotional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emotional
  1. passionate
  2. impressive
  3. affectionate
  4. passional
  5. excitable
  6. loving
  7. warm
  8. exciting
Adjective
  • Over the last six months of development, Carla has certainly proved to be a passionate writer and producer.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Three decades removed, Westwood is still a cinematic ghost town that passionate film lovers are trying to revive.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of passionate
Adjective
  • Besiktas had been chasing Joe Willock, who seemed a shoo-in to depart, but an impressive start under Jaissle brought a rethink; a contract extension is possible.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • My mom’s longtime favorite flip-flops have a super impressive discount today, so act fast to snap them up before summer officially comes to a close.
    — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of impressive
Adjective
  • For a quintessential Up North afternoon, head to Gabriel Farms, an 1880s farmstead with vineyards, U-pick apples and berries, and affectionate farm pups.
    — Taryn Shorr-Mckee, Midwest Living, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Veteran flight attendants with decades of experience often earn an affectionate nickname among airline crews.
    — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of affectionate
Adjective
  • At Fox, Collier became known for his passional embrace of blockchain, NFTs and the whole Web3 space.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 Nov. 2022
Definition of passional
Adjective
  • Ross doesn’t tend towards punch-the-air climaxes—just warm, excitable builds.
    — Shaad D’Souza, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Shaffelburg’s boundless enthusiasm and high work rate led one LAFC staffer to liken him to an excitable golden retriever, a comparison the player did not challenge.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of excitable
Adjective
  • These folks include my sister, two brothers and a beloved SIL, all who’ve been a loving part of our 41-year-old’s life since birth.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Jay Baruchel plays Carter, with Laurence Leboeuf as his steadfastly loving wife, Gloria.
    — Carole Horst, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of loving
Adjective
  • This luxe accent chair invites fall into your home with its rich velvet upholstery and warm cinnamon shade.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The temperature on Monday reached 81 degrees Fahrenheit in the evening with an average humidity level of 72 percent — warm but not unbearable.
    — Aaron Short, Curbed, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of warm
Adjective
  • That performance and a handful of others leads the way as the UFC wrapped up an exciting event from Shanghai.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • While a lot of the shorts are fully animated, the parts where this cartoon interacts with the real world were the most exciting then and are still a delight now.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of exciting

Browse Nearby Words

emotion
emotional
emotionalism
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Cite this Entry

“Emotional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emotional. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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