Definition

Noun 1. Emotional or moral sensitivity, especially in relation to personal principles or dignity: The state of being easily affected emotionally, particularly regarding one's self-respect or sense of what is right. 2. A person's emotions or emotional state: The conscious subjective experience of emotion, often used to describe being upset or hurt.

Usage

• The noun "feelings" is typically used to refer to a person's emotional state or sensitivities. It is often used with possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, their) or the definite article "the".
• It commonly appears in contexts involving emotional hurt, consideration for others' emotions, or the expression of one's own emotional state.

Examples

• His feelings were deeply hurt by the criticism. (His emotional sensitivity/pride was hurt.)
• You should be more considerate of other people's feelings. (You should be more aware of and sensitive to others' emotions.)
• She tried to hide her true feelings. (She attempted to conceal her real emotions.)
• I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. (I did not intend to cause you emotional pain or offense.)

Advanced Usage

• "Have mixed feelings": To experience conflicting or contradictory emotions about something.
  • I have mixed feelings about moving to a new city.
• "No hard feelings": Used to express that one is not upset or resentful after a disagreement or competition.
  • Good game! No hard feelings.
• "Hurt someone's feelings": To cause someone emotional pain or offense.
  • His thoughtless comment hurt her feelings.

Variants and Related Words

• Feeling (noun, singular): Can refer to a physical sensation (a feeling of cold), an emotion (a feeling of joy), or an intuition (a gut feeling).
• Feel (verb): To experience an emotion or physical sensation.
• Emotions (noun): A broader, often more clinical term for feelings.
• Sentiments (noun): Refers to thoughts, opinions, or attitudes based on feeling.

Synonyms

• Emotions
• Sensibilities
• Sentiments

Antonyms

• Indifference
• Apathy
• Insensitivity

Idioms and Common Phrases

• "Bad/ill feelings": Resentment or animosity between people.
  • The dispute left a lot of bad feelings between the two departments.
• "Feelings run high": People are very emotional or angry about a situation.
  • Feelings are running high in the community after the announcement.

Noun

1. emotional or moral sensitivity (especially in relation to personal principles or dignity)
   • the remark hurt his feelings