emotionally

emotionally — adverb

1. Relating to the feelings and emotions of a person, rather than to their physical

1.adverbB1
Definition

Relating to the feelings and emotions of a person, rather than to their physical state or rational thoughts.

Example

Yan felt emotionally drained after caring for her sick mother all week.

collocation: emotionally drained

The school provides support for children who are struggling emotionally at home.

Common collocations
  • emotionally drained
  • emotionally exhausted
  • emotionally stable
  • emotionally mature
  • emotionally damaged
  • emotionally affected
Synonyms
  • psychologically

    broader term that includes both emotions and mental processes

  • inwardly

    focuses on internal, private experience rather than visible expression

Antonyms
  • physically

    relating to the body rather than feelings

  • rationally

    based on logic and reason rather than emotions

Grammar Patterns

emotionally + adjective

emotionally + verb

Usage Note

Frequently modifies adjectives describing mental state (exhausted, stable, mature, scarred) or verbs relating to development or response (affected, damaged, grow). Often paired with antonyms like physically or rationally to draw a contrast.

Common Mistakes

She is an emotionally strong person who never cries.
She is an emotionally strong person who rarely shows her feelings.
'emotionally' is fine here but note it modifies 'strong' (an adjective), not the noun 'person'.
I think you are being emotionally.
I think you are being emotional.
'emotionally' is an adverb; use the adjective 'emotional' after linking verbs like 'be', 'feel', 'seem'.

2. Showing or arising from intense emotions such as sadness, anger, excitement, or

2.adverbB2
Definition

Showing or arising from intense emotions such as sadness, anger, excitement, or love.

Example

Roya spoke emotionally about the death of her grandmother last January.

collocation: speak emotionally

The crowd reacted emotionally when the winning goal was scored in the final minute.

collocation: react emotionally

Common collocations
  • speak emotionally
  • react emotionally
  • respond emotionally
  • become emotionally involved
  • emotionally charged
Synonyms
  • passionately

    stronger tone, often suggests romantic or deeply enthusiastic feeling

  • fervently

    formal, suggests intense dedication or sincere belief

  • tearfully

    narrower — specifically refers to crying while speaking or acting

Antonyms
  • calmly

    without strong feelings, in a controlled manner

  • coldly

    without warmth or emotion, often in a harsh way

  • dispassionately

    formal, without being influenced by emotions

Grammar Patterns

verb + emotionally

emotionally + verb + noun

Usage Note

Commonly modifies verbs of speech (speak, describe, talk, tell) or reaction (react, respond, become). In this sense the adverb describes the manner or intensity, not which specific feeling is involved.

Common Mistakes

He emotionally shouted at the referee.
He shouted at the referee, clearly upset and emotional.
when 'emotionally' precedes the verb it can sound like a calculated action; post-position or rephrase for natural speech.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/2

All four adverbs describe doing something with strong feeling, but they differ in scope and register. 'Emotionally' is the broadest and most neutral — it covers any strong feeling, whether sadness, anger, joy, or love ('Roya spoke emotionally about her loss'). 'Passionately' adds a tone of romantic or enthusiastic intensity, often implying positive or consuming feeling ('He argued passionately for better funding'). 'Fervently' (more formal) suggests deep, sincere conviction, frequently in religious or ideological contexts ('The group fervently believed in their cause'). 'Tearfully' is the most specific — it means showing emotion by crying ('The bride tearfully thanked her parents'). Use 'emotionally' when you need a general term; choose one of the others when you want to signal the type or intensity of the feeling.

emotionally ↗passionately ↗ferventlytearfully ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • emotionally and physically
  • emotionally and socially
  • emotionally and mentally

Phrases

  • emotionally charged
  • emotionally involved
  • emotionally attached

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed in English by adding the adverbial suffix '-ly' to 'emotional' (1857), which itself combines 'emotion' (1570s) with the adjective suffix '-al'. 'Emotion' comes from French 'émotion', derived from Latin 'emovere' — from 'ex-' (out of) + 'movere' (to move) — literally meaning 'to move out, stir up'. The word originally referred to any physical or social disturbance, and only acquired its modern sense of 'strong feeling' in the 17th and 18th centuries.