A feelings wheel gives you a word for what you feel in three steps: a core feeling, a more specific one, then an even more specific one. This page lists every word on the wheel with its definition, so you can read the whole map or jump to a family. The app lets you tap through the same wheel and keep a private log on your phone.
7 core feelings sit at the center: Fearful, Angry, Disgusted, Sad, Happy, Surprised and Bad. The middle ring has 41 words and the outer ring has 82.
E Established concept. The word has a standard meaning in psychology or clinical practice (fear, guilt, loneliness). The definition is a plain-language version of that meaning, and the line above it names the concept.
I Best-fit reading. The word is everyday language with no single official definition (cheeky, awful, let down). The definition is built from the closest research concepts, which are named on that line. It is a careful interpretation, not a textbook entry.
None of this is a diagnosis. The wheel is a map for finding words.
Wheel structure adapted from Geoffrey Roberts' Feelings Wheel (2015), itself based on Gloria Willcox's Feeling Wheel (1982). The definitions on this page are original to this site.
Experiencing fear in response to perceived physical, emotional, or psychological danger, with attention and bodily responses directed toward protection.
In this family: Scared, Anxious, Insecure, Weak, Rejected, Threatened.
I Best-fit reading · fear and acute threat response
Experiencing fear because a situation is appraised as dangerous, with increased alertness and readiness to protect oneself. The label is an everyday expression of the clinical and psychological fear response.
Experiencing apprehension about anticipated danger or misfortune, often accompanied by physical tension. Anxiety can occur without a clearly identifiable immediate threat.
I Best-fit reading · psychological stress and demand-versus-resource appraisal
Appraising emotional intensity or situational demands as exceeding available coping resources, so organizing thoughts, regulating feelings, or choosing an effective response feels difficult. The closest framework is psychological stress and coping appraisal.
E Established concept · worry and anticipatory cognition
Engaging in apprehensive thoughts about possible negative events or outcomes, commonly involving repeated attempts to anticipate or solve potential problems.
I Best-fit reading · low self-esteem, reduced felt security, and rejection concerns
Experiencing reduced confidence in one's worth, capabilities, acceptance, or safety, with self-doubt and increased concern about rejection or threat. This interpretation concerns felt security, not a specific attachment diagnosis.
Appraising one's abilities or resources as insufficient for a particular demand, producing self-doubt, anxiety, or reduced willingness to act. The closest construct is low perceived self-efficacy, rather than objectively demonstrated inability.
I Best-fit reading · negative social comparison and low self-esteem
Evaluating oneself unfavorably relative to others and experiencing oneself as less capable, worthy, or socially important. The closest constructs are negative social comparison and low self-esteem; this appraisal does not establish actual inferiority.
I Best-fit reading · low perceived coping capacity and self-efficacy
Experiencing low confidence in one's ability to tolerate distress, meet demands, or protect oneself. The closest interpretation is perceived coping incapacity or reduced self-efficacy, rather than a clinical judgment about character or physical strength.
Experiencing oneself as unnoticed, unimportant, or unlikely to affect others or events. The closest psychological construct is low mattering: a reduced sense that one's presence, needs, or contributions count.
I Best-fit reading · social exclusion and threatened belonging
Perceiving that access to a group, interaction, or opportunity for connection has been denied or withheld. This is closest to social exclusion, which can threaten belonging even when no explicit rejection is stated.
I Best-fit reading · perceived interpersonal threat and targeted mistreatment
Appraising oneself as the target of repeated hostility, harassment, oppression, or unfair treatment, producing a sense of interpersonal danger. This describes perceived mistreatment; the label alone does not establish either actual persecution or a persecutory delusion.
I Best-fit reading · anticipatory anxiety and physiological arousal
Experiencing anticipatory uneasiness and bodily tension when an outcome, demand, or encounter feels uncertain or threatening. The closest clinical construct is situational anxiety, often accompanied by increased arousal or restlessness.
I Best-fit reading · vulnerability and social-evaluative threat
Experiencing heightened vulnerability because private information, limitations, or personal feelings seem visible and insufficiently protected. The closest constructs are perceived vulnerability and social-evaluative threat, particularly concern about judgment or interpersonal harm.
I Best-fit reading · disappointment and unmet interpersonal expectations
Experiencing disappointment when expected support, reliability, or a valued outcome fails to occur. In interpersonal settings, the closest interpretation is distress following a violated expectation that another person would respond dependably.
I Best-fit reading · perceived breach of trust and relational threat
Experiencing relational distress after perceiving that a trusted person has violated loyalty, confidentiality, reliability, or an important commitment. The closest constructs are breach of trust and relational threat, which may involve hurt, anger, or distrust.
I Best-fit reading · humiliation and social devaluation
Experiencing painful degradation or loss of dignity when one perceives being belittled, demeaned, or lowered in social standing. The closest construct is humiliation through social devaluation, which may combine shame, hurt, and anger without requiring a public audience.
I Best-fit reading · perceived social devaluation and injustice
Appraising another person's treatment as failing to recognize one's dignity, boundaries, legitimacy, or standing. The closest constructs are perceived social devaluation and injustice, often accompanied by hurt, irritation, or anger.
I Best-fit reading · humiliation and social-evaluative threat
Experiencing oneself as the target of derisive amusement or mocking that threatens dignity or social standing. The closest constructs are humiliation and social-evaluative threat; associated feelings may include embarrassment, shame, hurt, or anger.
I Best-fit reading · persistent resentment and anger-focused rumination
Experiencing persistent resentment and negative feeling organized around remembered injury, disappointment, or unfairness. Anger-focused rumination is an adjacent mechanism that may help sustain this state; bitterness does not by itself establish a psychiatric disorder.
I Best-fit reading · moral anger and injustice appraisal
Experiencing anger because an action or situation is appraised as unjust, disrespectful, or contrary to a moral standard. The closest construct is moral anger, often with motivation to protest, confront, or seek correction.
I Best-fit reading · boundary infringement and perceived threat to autonomy or safety
Experiencing threat or distress because personal, bodily, emotional, sexual, or privacy boundaries seem intruded upon or disregarded. The closest interpretation concerns infringement of autonomy, safety, or trust; no particular trauma diagnosis follows from the label.
Experiencing anger in response to perceived injury, injustice, or frustration, often with tension and a desire to object or confront. In this wheel, the word means angry and does not refer to mental illness.
Experiencing very intense anger, with strong emotional and often physiological activation and an urge for forceful expression. The closest clinical construct is intense anger or rage; feeling it does not establish that aggression will occur.
E Established concept · aggression and aggressive action tendencies
Describing behavior intended to cause physical or psychological harm. As a feeling label, it may describe an urge to act aggressively; it is not itself a distinct emotion.
I Best-fit reading · anger activation following perceived provocation
Experiencing anger or defensive activation after interpreting an event as insulting, obstructive, challenging, or threatening. The closest framework is reactive anger following perceived provocation, which remains distinct from acting aggressively.
Experiencing extreme anger in reaction to an event appraised as intolerably offensive, frustrating, or unjust. The closest construct is intense anger or rage, which may produce strong action urges without necessarily resulting in harmful behavior.
I Best-fit reading · irritation and low-intensity anger
Experiencing irritation or relatively low-intensity anger toward an unwanted stimulus, intrusion, or obstacle. The closest psychological state is irritation; a situational episode is different from a persistent clinical pattern of irritability.
I Best-fit reading · emotional detachment and reduced interpersonal engagement
Experiencing reduced emotional closeness or felt connection to others, sometimes with less desire to disclose, respond, or engage. The closest construct is emotional detachment, which may accompany withdrawal but does not specify its cause.
Experiencing reduced emotional responsiveness or difficulty accessing feelings, including positive feelings. Here the term refers to emotional numbing, not loss of physical sensation.
I Best-fit reading · negative evaluation and interpersonal criticism
Adopting a negatively evaluative stance that emphasizes perceived faults and communicates disapproval. Interpersonal criticism, including the criticism dimension studied in expressed emotion, is the closest clinical research construct; feeling critical is not itself a disorder.
I Best-fit reading · epistemic doubt and uncertainty appraisal
Experiencing doubt about a claim, intention, explanation, or expected outcome and withholding belief or trust while evaluating it. The closest constructs are epistemic uncertainty and appraisal of credibility; skepticism need not involve distress or pathology.
I Best-fit reading · interpersonal discounting and emotional invalidation
Discounting another person's perspective, feeling, or concern as unimportant or undeserving of attention. The closest interpersonal constructs are devaluation and, when feelings are discounted, emotional invalidation; this label does not imply a particular attachment style.
I Best-fit reading · negative evaluative appraisal
Appraising a behavior, person, or situation as inconsistent with one's standards or expectations and experiencing an unfavorable attitude toward it. The closest construct is negative evaluative appraisal, which may accompany anger, disgust, or disappointment.
I Best-fit reading · negative social evaluation and moral condemnation
Making strongly unfavorable evaluations of another person's conduct, motives, or worth, sometimes with moral condemnation and limited openness to context. The closest constructs are negative social evaluation and evaluative attribution, rather than a distinct clinical emotion.
Experiencing self-conscious discomfort when one's behavior, appearance, or circumstances seem awkward, exposed, or likely to attract unwanted social evaluation.
I Best-fit reading · disappointment and negative expectation disconfirmation
Experiencing negative emotion when an actual or anticipated outcome falls below a valued expectation. The closest construct is disappointment following negative expectation disconfirmation, often involving sadness, frustration, or diminished motivation rather than surprise alone.
I Best-fit reading · disgust, moral disapproval, and negative surprise
Experiencing an intense negative reaction to something appraised as deeply unacceptable, offensive, or disturbing. The closest interpretation is a combination of disgust or moral disapproval with negative surprise, rather than a single distinct clinical syndrome.
Experiencing strong disgust and aversion toward a stimulus or action appraised as physically repulsive or morally objectionable. The closest clinical and psychological construct is intense disgust, with motivation to reject or avoid the target.
I Best-fit reading · nonspecific psychological distress and negative affect
Experiencing strongly unpleasant feeling that has not yet been differentiated into a specific emotion or bodily complaint. The closest clinical construct is nonspecific distress or negative affect; context is needed to identify its emotional and physical components.
I Best-fit reading · disgust-based evaluation and, when self-directed, self-disgust
Evaluating a person, action, or aspect of oneself as intensely repugnant or unacceptable. The closest affective construct is disgust; when the label means "I feel detestable," the best-fit interpretation is self-directed disgust rather than an objective description of worth.
I Best-fit reading · disgust-related aversion and avoidance motivation
Experiencing an aversive response that creates an urge to move away, reject contact, or avoid engagement with a target. The closest constructs are disgust-related aversion and avoidance motivation, which may involve physical or moral concerns.
I Best-fit reading · intense fear or disgust with negative surprise
Experiencing intense negative alarm or shock at something appraised as terrible, threatening, or repugnant. The closest interpretation combines fear or disgust with negative surprise; the mix depends on whether danger or moral revulsion is central.
I Best-fit reading · uncertainty and approach-avoidance conflict
Experiencing uncertainty or competing motives about proceeding, so action or commitment is delayed. The closest framework is approach-avoidance conflict or anxious uncertainty, especially when a desired action also carries perceived risk.
I Best-fit reading · hurt feelings and social or emotional pain
Experiencing emotional pain after perceiving rejection, relational devaluation, criticism, betrayal, or loss. The closest construct is hurt feelings or social pain, particularly when an important relationship seems less caring or secure than expected.
Experiencing self-conscious discomfort when one's behavior, appearance, or circumstances seem awkward, exposed, or likely to attract unwanted social evaluation.
I Best-fit reading · disappointment and negative expectation disconfirmation
Experiencing negative emotion when an actual or anticipated outcome falls below a valued expectation. The closest construct is disappointment following negative expectation disconfirmation, often involving sadness, frustration, or diminished motivation rather than surprise alone.
Experiencing a low or despondent mood, sometimes with reduced interest, energy, or motivation. This feeling label alone does not establish a depressive disorder.
I Best-fit reading · negative social comparison and low self-esteem
Evaluating oneself unfavorably relative to others and experiencing oneself as less capable, worthy, or socially important. The closest constructs are negative social comparison and low self-esteem; this appraisal does not establish actual inferiority.
Experiencing a self-conscious emotion associated with believing one has done, failed to do, or thought something that violates a moral or personal standard.
I Best-fit reading · guilt, regret, and reparative motivation
Experiencing sorrow and regret about a perceived wrongdoing or harm for which one feels responsible. The closest constructs are guilt and reparative motivation, often involving a wish to acknowledge responsibility, make amends, or prevent recurrence.
Experiencing painful self-consciousness about perceived defects, failures, or unacceptable conduct, often with an urge to hide, withdraw, or conceal oneself.
I Best-fit reading · hopelessness and loss of perceived coping options
Experiencing profound hopelessness and a sense that meaningful improvement or an acceptable outcome is no longer possible. The closest clinical constructs are hopelessness and loss of perceived coping options, rather than sadness alone.
I Best-fit reading · low perceived control and helplessness
Perceiving that one's actions cannot meaningfully influence an unwanted situation or protect an important interest. The closest constructs are low perceived control and helplessness; the subjective experience does not establish that all effective action is impossible.
Experiencing an emotional and psychological response to significant loss, especially the death of a loved person, which may include sorrow, yearning, and other feelings.
I Best-fit reading · perceived susceptibility to harm and limited protection
Appraising oneself as susceptible to emotional, social, or physical harm because protection or coping resources feel limited. In this sadness branch, the closest interpretation is felt exposure to injury or rejection, rather than a fixed personal deficit.
I Best-fit reading · low perceived distress tolerance and coping capacity
Experiencing oneself as easily overwhelmed or destabilized by emotional demands, with limited confidence in recovering or coping. The closest constructs are low perceived distress tolerance and reduced coping capacity, rather than an objective judgment of weakness.
I Best-fit reading · perceived victimization and interpersonal harm
Experiencing or appraising oneself as harmed, exploited, unfairly targeted, or deprived of fair treatment by another person or circumstance. The closest constructs are perceived victimization and interpersonal harm, with possible fear, hurt, anger, or helplessness.
Describing limited social contact or access to supportive relationships; as a feeling label, it can mean feeling cut off from others. Isolation differs from subjective loneliness.
I Best-fit reading · attachment-related separation distress and loss of expected support
Experiencing separation-related distress when an important person seems to withdraw presence, care, or protection that one expected. The closest framework is attachment-related distress and perceived loss of support; actual separation and anticipated abandonment can both produce this feeling.
Experiencing an evoked state of motivation and possibility that draws one toward expressing, creating, or pursuing something perceived as meaningful or valuable.
I Best-fit reading · emotional intimacy and perceived responsiveness
Experiencing emotional closeness through trust, personal disclosure, and a sense of being understood, valued, or cared for. The closest construct is emotional intimacy, often supported by perceived responsiveness; sexual contact is not required.
I Best-fit reading · empathic attunement and interpersonal responsiveness
Experiencing receptivity to emotional cues and responsiveness to another person's needs or vulnerability. In this positive Trusting branch, empathic attunement is the best-fit interpretation; the same word can mean heightened reactivity or sensory sensitivity in other contexts.
I Best-fit reading · serenity and low-arousal positive affect
Experiencing internal calm, ease, and relative emotional settledness, often with low physiological activation. The closest constructs are serenity and low-arousal positive affect; this state does not require the absence of every concern or external stressor.
Experiencing appreciative recognition of a benefit, kindness, or favorable circumstance, often acknowledging another person's contribution. The closest construct is gratitude, which can involve warmth and motivation to respond with care or reciprocity.
I Best-fit reading · affection, attachment, and caring motivation
Experiencing affectionate attachment, warmth, and motivation to care for another person's well-being or maintain connection. The closest constructs are affection, attachment, and caring motivation, which together cover the broad meaning of this feeling label.
I Best-fit reading · perceived control, agency, and self-efficacy
Experiencing confidence that one can choose, act, or influence outcomes that matter. The closest constructs are perceived control, agency, and self-efficacy; the label does not by itself indicate grandiosity, dominance, or unusually elevated mood.
E Established concept · creativity and creative motivation
Describing the capacity to generate ideas, expressions, or solutions that are original and appropriate to their purpose. As a feeling label, it means feeling able or motivated to create, rather than identifying a separate clinical emotion.
I Best-fit reading · courage and approach behavior despite fear
Experiencing willingness to approach a meaningful action despite fear or anticipated difficulty. The closest construct is courage, particularly behavior guided by a valued aim while fear is present, rather than an absence of fear.
I Best-fit reading · social acceptance and belonging
Perceiving that others welcome one's presence, recognize one's membership, or allow connection without rejection. The closest constructs are social acceptance and belonging, with the emotional experience depending on the importance of the person or group.
I Best-fit reading · perceived mattering and relational value
Experiencing a sense that one's presence, needs, well-being, or contributions matter to others. The closest construct is perceived mattering or relational value, rather than merely receiving praise or achieving a task.
I Best-fit reading · perceived recognition of dignity and social standing
Perceiving that others recognize one's dignity, boundaries, abilities, or legitimate standing and respond with appropriate consideration. The closest constructs are social recognition and dignity-related appraisal, which differ from simple approval or affection.
I Best-fit reading · perceived goal attainment and mastery
Appraising a valued goal or performance standard as achieved, producing a sense of competence or accomplishment. The closest constructs are perceived goal attainment and mastery, which may support pride and confidence without implying success in every domain.
I Best-fit reading · interest and motivated attention
Experiencing motivated attention toward something appraised as engaging, novel, complex, or personally meaningful, with readiness to explore it. The closest construct is interest, which involves sustained engagement rather than merely noticing a stimulus.
I Best-fit reading · epistemic curiosity and information-seeking motivation
Experiencing curiosity expressed through questioning, investigating, or actively seeking explanations. The closest construct is epistemic curiosity with an information-seeking action tendency, rather than a separate clinical emotion.
Experiencing a desire to obtain information, explore novelty, or resolve a gap in understanding. The closest construct is epistemic curiosity, which may involve either pleasurable discovery or an urge to reduce uncertainty.
I Best-fit reading · contentment and perceived sufficiency
Experiencing satisfaction because the present situation feels sufficient or complete, with reduced urgency to seek more or change it. The closest construct is contentment, a relatively settled positive state that differs from high-arousal excitement.
Experiencing a sense that one's choices and actions are voluntarily endorsed rather than compelled by unwanted control. The closest construct is autonomy or volition; feeling free can coexist with responsibilities or external limits.
I Best-fit reading · playfulness and spontaneous positive engagement
Experiencing a readiness to engage spontaneously with humor, imagination, amusement, or enjoyable interaction. The closest construct is playfulness, interpreted here as a momentary state rather than a personality trait or a separate diagnostic emotion.
I Best-fit reading · playful teasing and socially bold expression
Expressing or feeling playful social boldness through teasing, irreverence, or mild provocation that tests ordinary boundaries. The closest constructs are playful teasing and uninhibited social expression; the label does not establish clinical disinhibition or harmful intent.
E Established concept · physiological and psychological arousal
Experiencing increased physiological or psychological activation, such as heightened alertness, excitement, or energy. Arousal is not necessarily sexual or pleasant.
Experiencing a brief reaction to something unexpected that redirects attention toward understanding what has happened. Surprise may be pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
In this family: Excited, Amazed, Confused, Startled.
I Best-fit reading · high-arousal positive affect and approach motivation
Experiencing energized positive affect and readiness to engage with something rewarding, meaningful, or anticipated. The closest constructs are high-arousal positive affect and approach motivation; excitement is not equivalent to clinical mania.
Experiencing subjective aliveness and available mental or physical energy for activity. The closest construct is subjective vitality; this feeling does not by itself establish physical fitness, sustained performance capacity, or an abnormal mood state.
I Best-fit reading · anticipatory approach motivation
Experiencing strong anticipatory desire and readiness to pursue a valued activity, opportunity, or outcome. The closest construct is approach motivation directed toward an expected reward or meaningful goal.
Experiencing strong surprise, often with wonder, when an event or discovery exceeds ordinary expectations. The closest constructs are intense surprise and exploratory attention; unlike awe, perceived vastness is not necessary.
Experiencing wonder in response to something perceived as vast or extraordinary that challenges one's existing understanding and calls for a broader perspective.
Experiencing intense surprise because an event or information sharply departs from what one expected or thought possible. The closest construct is a strong surprise response, sometimes with a brief pause while expectations are revised.
I Best-fit reading · epistemic confusion and cognitive incongruity
Experiencing uncertainty because available information conflicts with expectations or cannot yet be organized into a coherent understanding. The closest construct is epistemic confusion; this wheel label does not indicate delirium, disorientation, or another altered mental state.
I Best-fit reading · confusion and unresolved cognitive uncertainty
Experiencing a specific difficulty explaining, resolving, or making sense of information that remains inconsistent or unclear. The closest construct is confusion associated with unresolved cognitive uncertainty, often motivating further examination or questioning.
I Best-fit reading · negative expectation disconfirmation and belief revision
Experiencing disappointment and loss of a previously favorable belief after information undermines an admired person, situation, or ideal. The closest constructs are negative expectation disconfirmation and belief revision, sometimes accompanied by sadness or distrust.
Experiencing a rapid, involuntary defensive response to an abrupt or intense stimulus, such as a sudden noise. Startle is a reflex and can accompany emotion.
I Best-fit reading · disappointment, discouragement, and threat appraisal
Experiencing discouragement, disappointment, or alarm when an unwelcome event undermines hope, confidence, or perceived ability to cope. The closest interpretation combines disappointment with negative surprise or threat appraisal, depending on the situation.
I Best-fit reading · acute emotional distress and negative surprise
Experiencing an abrupt, strong emotional response to an unexpected or disturbing event, sometimes with disbelief or temporary difficulty organizing a response. The closest constructs are negative surprise and acute distress; this is distinct from medical circulatory shock.
I Best-fit reading · undifferentiated negative affect or distress
Experiencing a broadly unpleasant emotional or bodily state that has not yet been specified. The closest constructs are undifferentiated negative affect and distress, with further description needed to distinguish fatigue, anxiety, sadness, discomfort, or other components.
Experiencing fatigue or reduced energy and capacity for mental or physical effort. Tiredness does not necessarily include an increased tendency to fall asleep.
I Best-fit reading · perceived loss of control and possible difficulty with emotion regulation
Experiencing a perceived inability to influence unfolding events or regulate one's own emotional or behavioral responses. The closest constructs are loss of perceived control and, when the difficulty concerns one's reactions, impaired emotion regulation.
I Best-fit reading · psychological stress and demand-versus-resource appraisal
Appraising emotional intensity or situational demands as exceeding available coping resources, so organizing thoughts, regulating feelings, or choosing an effective response feels difficult. The closest framework is psychological stress and coping appraisal.
I Best-fit reading · perceived demand load and attentional occupation
Appraising one's time and attention as occupied by numerous or demanding activities. The closest constructs are perceived demand load and attentional occupation; feeling busy may become stressful when demands exceed available resources, but need not be distressing.
Perceiving that available time is insufficient for what must be done, producing urgency and a sense of needing to move faster. The closest construct is perceived time pressure, which can occur even without an objectively short deadline.
I Best-fit reading · perceived demands and stress appraisal
Experiencing demands or expectations as pushing one to perform, decide, or act, sometimes with reduced felt choice. The closest framework is stress appraisal involving internal or external demands, rather than a distinct basic emotion.
Experiencing reduced motivation and initiative, with diminished goal-directed activity, interest, or engagement. Clinically, apathy concerns motivational functioning and is distinct from simply feeling bored, emotionally numb, or uninterested in one specific activity.
I Best-fit reading · low situational interest and emotional disengagement
Experiencing little emotional investment, concern, or interest toward a particular person, event, or outcome. The closest interpretation is situational disengagement or low motivational relevance, which differs from the generalized reduction in motivation seen in apathy.