633 Powerful Emotional Words to Boost Your Content Strategy Now

Humans are, first and foremost, emotional creatures by nature. Our actions and motivations stem largely from our emotional responses. These emotions act as the navigators for our actions, instinctively directing us towards what we consider important and away from what is not. This is why emotional words, in any format, affect most people. Whether it’s a poignant line in a novel, an impassioned plea in a speech, or even a well-timed joke in a sitcom, the words that carry emotion strike us deeply. They resonate within our own experiences, our hopes, our fears, and our dreams.

You likely know already that your choice of words for a headline can dramatically influence your content’s engagement performance and even your overall brand image. According to statistics, while 80% of individuals will read your headline, only a mere 20% will take the next step to engage with your content. This is because our actions are greatly influenced by the emotions or feelings triggered (or not) by words, and emotionally-charged headlines evoke feelings in readers that encourage them to engage with content.

See also 10 Proven Tips for Generating Attention-Grabbing Headlines.

What Are Emotional Words?

Emotional words are trigger words that convey or evoke feelings and emotions. They can stir up different feelings, from happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, or any other emotional response in the reader or listener. Like power words, emotional words are powerful tools in language and communication because they can deeply influence perception, behaviour, and decision-making. Examples of emotional words could include “joyful,” “grief-stricken,” “furious,” “astonishing,” “terrifying,” and so on.

Usage Example

For example, “astonishing” is used in “The lessons from America’s astonishing economic record.”

This word is used to evoke a sense of surprise or amazement in the reader. By describing the economic record as “astonishing,” the writer suggests that it is so remarkable or surprising that it’s hard to believe. This can draw the reader in, making them curious about what makes America’s economic record extraordinary.

In this context, the emotional word “astonishing” can have several effects on the reader:

1. Interest and Engagement: The reader may feel intrigued and want to know more about what makes America’s economic record astonishing. This can increase reader engagement and make them more likely to read the article.
2. Emotional Reaction: The word “astonishing” can evoke a sense of awe or amazement in the reader. This can create a more emotional connection to the topic, making the reader more invested in the content.
3. Positive Perception: If the reader interprets “astonishing” as a positive descriptor, they may view the topic more positively. This can shape their perception of America’s economic record, potentially making them more likely to view it favourably.
4. Expectation: Using such a strong emotional word sets up the expectation that the economic record being discussed is truly extraordinary. The reader may feel disappointed if the article fails to meet this expectation.

A Comprehensive List of Emotional Words

Below is a comprehensive list of research-backed emotional words that can subconsciously trigger the right feelings in your reader and spur their interest to engage with your content and take the actions you desire.

Admiration	Admirer	Adulation	Advice
Affordable	Agony	Almighty	Amour
Announcing	Anonymous	Antagonism	Anxiousness
Apocalypse	Apprehension	Armageddon	Arrived
Arrogant	Assault	Astonishing	Astound
Astounded	Astounding	Astoundingly	Astounds
Attachment	Attitude	Attractive	Audacity
Authentic	Avenge	Awe	Backbone
Backdoor	Backlash	Backstabbing	Bashful
Belief	Belligerent	Berserk	Beset
Best-selling	Beware	Billion	Bitterness
Blinded	Bliss	Blissful	Blood
Bloodbath	Bloodcurdling	Bonanza	Bootleg
Bottom	Bravery	Brazen	Bristle
Broken-hearted	Brood	Buffoon	Bumbling
Burned	Cadaver	Callous	Calmness
Cash	Caution	Certified	Cheap
Cheer	Cheered	Cheerful	Cheering
Cheerless	Cheers	Cheery	Cockiness
Cocky	Collect	Colorful	Colossal
Commiseration	Compare	Compassion	Competitive
Complete	Compromise	Concealed	Concern
Confessions	Confidential	Conquer	Content
Contentment	Controversy	Coolness	Courage
Courageous	Covert	Coward	Cowardly
Crammed	Crave	Crazier	Craziest
Crazy	Cripple	Crooked	Cross
Cruel	Cruelty	Cupid	Cure
Curiosity	Daring	Deadline	Defiance
Delight	Delighted	Delightful	Delighting
Delights	Delivered	Depraved	Depress
Depression	Desolation	Desperation	Destiny
Detest	Devastate	Devastated	Devastating
Devote	Devoted	Devotion	Direct
Discount	Discourage	Disgust	Disgusted
Disgusting	Dishearten	Disillusion	Disinformation
Dismay	Displeasure	Dollar	Double
Download	Drowning	Dumb	Easily
Ecstasy	Edge	Elate	Embarrass
Embarrassed	Embarrasses	Embarrassing	Embarrassment
Emerging	Emotion	Emotional	Empathy
Empower	Enchantment	Energize	Energy
Enjoyment	Enormous	Enthusiasm	Epic
Exasperation	Excite	Excited	Excitement
Exciting	Exhaustion	Expert	Explode
Extra	Eye-opening	Famous	Fantastic
Fascinate	Fascinated	Fascinates	Fascinating
Fear	Fearful	Fearing	Fearless
Fearsome	Feast	Fed	Feeble
Feel	Ferocious	Fickle	Fierce
FIre	Fleece	Flirt	Floundering
Flush	Focus	Forbidden	Force-fed
Forgotten	Forlorn	Fortune	Foul
Frantic	Free	Freebie	Frenzy
Fright	Frighten	Frightened	Frightening
Frugal	Fulfill	Fulfilled	Fulfills
Full	Fundamentals	Fury	Gaiety
Gaily	Gall	Gambling	Gay
Genuine	Gigantic	Gladness	Grateful
Greed	Greedy	Grieve	Grit
Guaranteed	Gullibility	Gullible	Guts
Hack	Happiness	Happy	Hate
Hated	Hates	Hating	Hatred
Haughty	Hazardous	Heartless	Help
Helpful	Helping	Helpless	Helps
Hidden	High	Highest	Hope
Hopeful	Hopefully	Hopeless	Hopelessness
Hopes	Hoping	Horrible	Horrific
Horrified	Horror	Hostility	Hurricane
Hurry	Hurtful	Hypnotic	Imagination
Immediately	Inexpensive	Informative	Insanely
Insider	Insidious	Instructive	Interest
Interested	Interesting	Interests	Intimacy
Intolerable	Introducing	Invasion	Ironclad
Irresistibly	Irritable	Irs	Jackpot
Jail	Jaw-dropping	Jittery	Jolly
Jovial	Joy	Joyful	Joyfully
Joyless	Joyous	Jubilant	Killer
Lament	Lamentable	Largest	Lascivious
Last	Latest	Launching	Lavishly
Liberal	Lick	Lies	Lifetime
Line	Loathsome	Lonely	Lonesome
Long	Longing	Loser	Losing
Loss	Lost	Lunatic	Lunatics
Lust	Luxurious	Luxury	Lying
Magic	Mainstream	Mammoth	Massive
Maul	Meltdown	Merrily	Merriment
Mind-blowing	Minute	Mired	Mix
Money	Money-grubbing	Moneyback	Monumental
Mood	Mortify	Mourner	Myself
Myths	Naked	Naughty	Nervousness
Neurotic	Nightmare	Noted	Obsession
Off-limits	Offer	Official	Outlawed
Overcome	Painful	Pale	Panic
Panicked	Panics	Paralyzed	Paranoid
Passion	Payback	Perspective	Phobia
Pioneering	Piranha	Pitfall	Plague
Played	Pleasurable	Plight	Pluck
Plummet	Plunge	Pointless	Portfolio
Pound	Pout	Powerful	Practical
Prejudice	Preposterous	Priced	Pride
Privacy	Private	Prize	Professional
Profit	Profitable	Promising	Protect
Protected	Protects	Proven	Provocative
Pummel	Quadruple	Quality	Quick
Quickly	Rare	Rave	Recession-proof
Reckoning	Reclaim	Reduced	Refund
Refundable	Regrettable	Relaxation	Reliable
Religious	Relish	Remarkable	Remarkably
Research	Resentment	Restlessness	Results
Revealing	Revisited	Revolting	Revolutionary
Risky	Romantic	Ruthless	Sadness
Sale	Sampler	Sanguine	Satisfaction
Satisfy	Savings	Scandal	Scandalous
Scandals	Scarce	Scare	Scared
Scary	Searing	Secrets	Secure
Secured	Secures	Security	Seductively
Seize	Selected	Sensational	Sensitive
Sensitivity	Sensual	Sentiment	Sentimental
Sex	Shameless	Shatter	Shellacking
Shimmering	Shocked	Shocking	Shortsighted
Shyness	Silence	Simple	Sin
Sincere	Skeptic	Skeptical	Slaughter
Slave	Slaves	Sleep	Smear
Smile	Smiling	Smother	Smug
Snare	Sneaky	Soaring	Sole
Solemn	Solitude	Sorrow	Sorry
Special	Speechless	Speedy	Spite
Splendid	Staggered	Startled	Stealth
Sting	Straightforward	Strange	Stress
Stressed	Stun	Stunning	Stupid
Sturdy	Subdued	Successful	Suicide
Superb	Superstition	Surging	Surprise
Surprised	Surprising	Surrender	Survival
Survive	Survivor	Suspicious	Sweat
Sweating	Sweet	Sweetheart	Swift
Swoon	Tears	Temptation	Terror
Terrified	Terrifying	Thrill	Thrilled
Thrilling	Tick	Timely	Touched
Tragedy	Tragic	Transgression	Treacherous
Trembling	Tremendous	Triple	Trouble
Troubled	Troubles	Troubling	Trust
Trusting	Truth	Twist	Ugly
Paralysed	Unbelievable	Unbelieving	Uncertain
Uncomfortable	Uncontrollable	Uncover	Underestimated
Undesirable	Unexpected	Unfamiliar	Unforgettable
Unfortunate	Unhappiness	Unhappy	Unique
Unjust	Unmatched	Unpleasing	Unquestionable
Unravel	Unreliable	Unresolved	Unrest
Unsafe	Unstable	Unstoppable	Unthinkable
Untold	Unveil	Upset	Urgent
Useful	Useless	Vanity	Victory
Vile	Violence	Violent	Virile
Vitality	Volatile	Vulnerable	Warning
Wary	Waste	Wasted	Weary
Wicked	Wipe	Wish	Worrisome
Worried	Worry	Worrying	Wound
Wounded	Wrath	Wretched	Wrong
Zeal	Zest	Zinger

See also 350+ SEO Power Words With Positive Sentiment to See More Results.

When appropriately utilised, emotional words can heighten social bonding and improve the connection between the sender and receiver.

However, it is important to avoid overusing emotional words and maintain proper context while using these trigger words in your content strategy so you don’t come across as manipulative or clickbaity. This way, these emotionally-charged words can enrich your message rather than compromise its authenticity.