Describing negative emotions (talking about how you or other people feel) is a useful skill in English. However, there is a lot of different vocabulary that needs to be learned.
Read the sentences below and see if you know the words in bold. Match each word with a definition below.
A. I though it was a fancy dress party so I dressed up as a pirate, but everybody else was wearing jeans and t-shirts. I was so embarrassed!
B. I have been studying English grammar for years but still make simple mistakes. I’m so frustrated.
C. His house has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a swimming pool, and I just live in a one bedroom apartment. I’m so jealous!
D. I went on a two week holiday by myself, but I was much younger than everyone else at the hotel so I didn’t really meet any one. I was quite lonelyactually.
E. I was studying late last night and I had to get up at 5am to get to work. I’m exhausted!
Definitions:
Feeling uncomfortable with yourself because of something you did that socially awkward or made you feel foolish in front of others. Show answer
Embarrassed
Feeling of being annoyed because you cannot change or achieve something. Show answer
Frustrated
Feeling of being unhappy with what you have because you think someone else has something better or that you are being missed out / ignored. Show answer
Jealous
Feeling of being alone (in a negative sense). Wanting to be involved in something with other people. Show answer
Lonely
Extremely tired, no energy remaining. Show answer
Exhausted
Practice
Now use the five words describing negative emotions to complete the situations.
Match the feeling with THREE situations.
1. Embarrassed
2. Frustrated
3. Jealous
4. Lonely
5. Exhausted
a) Jenny went to a 3 day rock festival. It was really fun but she didn’t sleep much at all during it.
Jenny was Show answer
Exhausted
b) Kate was rushing to catch a bus but she slipped over. All the people on the bus saw her and started laughing.
Kate was Show answer
Embarrassed
c) Kelly is trying to talk to her boyfriend on the phone but the reception is poor. She can’t hear what he is saying.
Kelly was Show answer
Frustrated
d) Mark started his new job today as a waiter. He accidentally spilled wine all over a customer.
Mark was Show answer
Embarrassed
e) John and Tom ordered different meals at a restaurant. John’s meal looks bigger and better. Tom wishes he ordered what John ordered.
Tom was Show answer
Jealous
f) Mark keeps talking to his wife about a woman he met at work. She sounds great. But she doesn’t like how he keeps talking about her.
Mark’s wife was Show answer
Jealous
g) Rick moved abroad. He is having trouble making new friends.
Rick is Show answer
Lonely
h) Max just ran a marathon. He is breathing hard and sweating a lot.
Max is Show answer
Exhausted
i) Jenny’s housemate moved out to live with her boyfriend. They were not only housemates but best friends. Now she has nobody to talk to when she comes home.
Jenny is Show answer
Lonely
j) Mark is a teacher. His students never do their homework. He doesn’t know what to do.
Mark is Show answer
Frustrated
k) John’s shorts fell down while he was playing basketball.
John was Show answer
Embarrassed
l) John’s girlfriend recently broke up with him. He feels lost without her. They did everything together.
John is Show answer
Lonely
m) Jack sees his girlfriend talking and laughing with an attractive man at a party.
Jack is Show answer
Jealous
n) Kate hasn’t had a day off work in about a month!
Kate is Show answer
Exhausted
o) Tom has an important assignment due for university but his computer isn’t working. He can’t fix it.
Tom is Show answer
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