- How is Emotional Granularity Different From Empathy?
- Library of Emotions: Expand Your Emotional Vocabulary
Say you find out that a teammate you detested has been fired.
Before you came across this article, you might have said something socially appropriate yet internally mismatched – “Oh no! I feel bad for them“. A statement conflicting with your interoception (your brain’s sense of your internal body state), leaving you in an emotional limbo because you actually feel relieved that you won’t be seeing them again.
After reading this article, however, you may label your feeling more precisely and say – “Oh! I feel slight schadenfreude”. Now, your emotional state is in alignment with your experience, reducing unnecessary guilt or inner conflict. You acknowledge, label, and move on.
This ability – the skill of precisely distinguishing your feelings and labeling them accurately – is called emotional spectrum (or emotional granularity).
The more precisely you can label feelings (anger vs. annoyance vs. frustration vs. hiraeth), the richer your emotion concepts become. And since language deeply shapes how you experience emotions, expanding your vocabulary can significantly improve emotional well-being.
How is Emotional Granularity Different From Empathy?
Emotional granularity refers to how precisely you can identify and differentiate your own emotions, whereas empathy is about recognizing and understanding the emotional states of others.
However, they’re closely related:
Higher emotional granularity → Better self-awareness → Stronger empathy
If you have high emotional granularity, you’re generally better at picking up subtle emotional cues in others. By accurately labeling your own emotions, you develop a more nuanced understanding of feelings – both yours and those of the people around you.
Emotional spectrum is one piece of the larger skill set of emotional intelligence, which includes recognizing, understanding, and responding to emotions – both yours and others.
Library of Emotions: Expand Your Emotional Vocabulary
Below is a curated list of emotion words to broaden your emotional vocabulary.
This is broken into two parts:
- Common emotion concepts: Words we use in daily life, with more nuanced alternatives.
- Emotion words from other cultures: Untranslatable words that capture complex emotional experiences.
Expanding your emotional vocabulary helps in two ways:
- Accurate emotional labeling: Reducing emotional confusion.
- Enhanced self-awareness: Improving decision-making and emotional regulation.
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Common Emotion Concepts and Their Nuanced Variations
The eight common emotion concepts.
Anger
Outrage – Intense anger, usually in response to injustice.
Annoyance – Mild irritation at something bothersome.
Irritability – Short-lived frustration, often triggered by small inconveniences.
Hatred – Deep, intense dislike toward someone or something.
Fury – Violent, explosive anger.
Exasperation – Feeling worn out by repeated frustrations.
Indignation – Anger caused by perceived unfairness.
Sadness
Grief – Deep sorrow due to loss.
Melancholy – Lingering sadness without a clear cause.
Loneliness – Feeling isolated or disconnected.
Despair – Complete loss of hope.
Gloom – A subdued, persistent sadness.
Fear
Apprehension – Mild worry about the future.
Nervousness – Jittery discomfort before an event.
Dread – Anticipating something bad with a sinking feeling.
Panic – Intense, overwhelming fear.
Happiness
Bliss – Pure, unshakable joy.
Contentment – A quiet, lasting sense of satisfaction.
Euphoria – A temporary state of extreme happiness.
Relief – Happiness from escaping something negative.
Love
Affection – Warm, gentle fondness.
Infatuation – Intense but short-lived attraction.
Devotion – Deep, committed love.
Belonging – Feeling at home in a group or relationship.
Surprise
Astonishment – A sense of being completely amazed.
Awe – A mix of admiration and wonder.
Shock – Sudden, unexpected surprise, often negative.
Disgust
Revulsion – Strong emotional repulsion.
Contempt – Disdain for something perceived as inferior.
Aversion – A deep desire to avoid something.
Shame
Guilt – Feeling bad about something you did.
Embarrassment – Temporary self-consciousness.
Remorse – Deep regret over past actions.
Emotion Words From Other Cultures
Sometimes, the perfect word for your feeling doesn’t exist in English, but other languages capture it beautifully. Here are 35 nuanced emotion words from around the world:
Gezellig (Dutch)
🎙️Pronunciation: heh-ZEH-likh (the “g” has a soft, throaty sound)
📖Meaning: A cozy, warm sense of togetherness and conviviality – like enjoying good company in a comfortable atmosphere.
Meraki (Greek)
🎙️Pronunciation: meh-RAH-kee
📖Meaning: Doing something with soul, creativity, or love; putting a piece of yourself into your work.
Saudade (Portuguese)
🎙️ sow-DAH-jeh (in Brazilian Portuguese)
📖 A deep emotional state of nostalgic or melancholic longing for someone or something absent yet beloved.
Wabi-sabi (Japanese)
🎙️ wah-bee sah-bee
📖 An embracing of imperfect, transient beauty; a peaceful acceptance of the natural cycle of growth and decay.
Lagom (Swedish)
🎙️ LAH-gum
📖 A sense of “just the right amount,” balance, and moderation – neither too much nor too little.
Komorebi (Japanese)
🎙️ koh-moh-REH-bee
📖 The dappled sunlight that filters through tree leaves, often evoking a tranquil, reflective feeling.
Fernweh (German)
🎙️ FEHRN-vey (“r” slightly throaty)
📖 A longing for far-off places; a desire to travel and explore.
Hygge (Danish)
🎙️ HOO-guh (roughly)
📖 A cozy, contented moment, often involving warmth, simplicity, and conviviality.
Gigil (Tagalog (Philippines)
🎙️ GEE-gheel (hard “g” as in “go”)
📖 The irresistible urge to pinch or squeeze something adorably cute – or an overwhelming burst of emotion.
Viraha (Hindi/Sanskrit)
🎙️ vee-RAH-hah
📖 The realization of love felt through separation; a poignant longing for someone who’s absent.
Kilig (Tagalog (Philippines))
🎙️ KEE-lig (hard “g”)
📖 The rush or fluttery excitement of a romantic or thrilling situation – like butterflies in your stomach.
Sisu (Finnish)
🎙️ SEE-soo
📖 Grit, resilience, and unyielding courage in the face of adversity.
Mångata (Swedish)
🎙️ MOHN-ga-tah
📖 The roadlike reflection of moonlight on water – often seen as calm or magical.
Samar (Arabic)
🎙️ sah-MAR
📖 The act of staying up late into the night talking or socializing with friends – evoking intimacy and companionship.
Sukoon (Urdu/Arabic)
🎙️ soo-KOON
📖 Inner peace, tranquility, or serenity amid life’s hustle.
Muditā (Sanskrit/Pali)
🎙️ moo-dee-TAH
📖 Sympathetic or vicarious joy; delighting in someone else’s happiness or good fortune.
Duende (Spanish)
🎙️ doo-EN-day
📖 The mysterious, powerful force of art or music that deeply moves you, stirring emotion at the core.
Shinrin-yoku (Japanese)
🎙️ sheen-rin YOH-koo
📖 “Forest bathing”; the restful, healing sense you get by immersing yourself quietly in nature.
Ikigai (Japanese)
🎙️ ee-kee-GAH-ee
📖 One’s “reason for being,” the sense of purpose that gives life meaning and direction.
Kaizen (Japanese)
🎙️ ky-ZEN
📖 Continuous improvement through small, ongoing changes.
Sankalpa (Sanskrit)
🎙️ sun-KULL-puh
📖 An intention formed by the heart and mind, a vow or resolution to align with your highest self.
Schadenfreude (German)
🎙️ SHAH-den-froy-duh
📖 Pleasure derived from someone else’s misfortune. This term can help people recognize the sometimes-awkward delight we feel at another’s mishap – and reflect on why it occurs.
Torschlusspanik (German)
🎙️ TOR-shloos-pah-nik
Literal Translation: “Gate-closing panic”
📖 The anxious feeling that time is running out, especially regarding major life choices (e.g., marriage, career, having children).
L’appel du vide (French)
🎙️ lah-PELL doo VEED
Literal Translation: “The call of the void”
📖 The sudden, unsettling urge to do something potentially harmful or dangerous (e.g., a fleeting thought of jumping from a high place). Naming it can help you acknowledge and release these momentary impulses without shame.
Hüzün (Turkish)
🎙️ HOO-zoon (short “u” sound)
📖 A deep, communal sense of melancholy or sadness often tied to cultural identity or a shared feeling of loss. Recognizing collective moods can prevent internalizing them as purely personal failings.
Hiraeth (Welsh)
🎙️ HEER-eyeth (the “th” is soft, almost like a breathy “th”)
📖 A profound longing for a place or time you can’t return to (or that never truly existed). Similar to nostalgia, but tinged with an impossible yearning.
Virakti (Hindi)
🎙️ VEE-rakti
📖 A detached sadness, a feeling of emotional withdrawal or disillusionment from the world.
Tidsfaux* (Derived from French & Scandinavian roots)
🎙️ Tids-fah
📖 The act of setting an unrealistic deadline despite knowing it’s unattainable, often due to pressure, optimism, or the desire to appear in control.
*Tidsfaux is a word created out of need. Just as this word is coined to capture the feeling of knowingly setting an impossible deadline, you too can name the emotions that shape your experiences. Language isn’t just for communication; it’s a tool for clarity and emotional mastery.
All said and done, emotion concepts are personal, cultural, and shaped by experience. There will be times when no existing word perfectly describes your emotions.
Think about it – every emotion word listed above was created by someone to describe how they felt. You can do the same too.
For example, growing up without a father, I sometimes felt a mix of abandonment, longing, and lost guidance. I used to label this as nostalgia or trauma, but those words never quite fit.
Recently, I coined my own term: “Fathervoidness” – the inner emptiness from paternal absence. Every time I feel it, I simply name it. And just like that, I don’t get stuck in emotional confusion. I acknowledge it and move on.
Your emotions aren’t something you passively experience – they are concepts you construct. Naming them gives you power over them.
So if no existing word fits how you feel, create your own. Because once you name it, you own it.
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Nikhil Kabadi 