mood

mood — noun

1. your emotional state at a given moment, especially one that lasts for a few hour

1.nounA2
Definition

your emotional state at a given moment, especially one that lasts for a few hours or a day — for example, waking up feeling cheerful or gloomy.

Example

Liang has been in a cheerful mood all morning since he heard the good news.

in a cheerful mood — adjective describing temporary feeling

The rainy weather put me in a gloomy mood for the rest of the afternoon.

Common collocations
  • be in a good/bad/foul/cheerful/gloomy mood
  • improve someone's mood
  • mood swings
  • put someone in a ... mood
  • my mood shifted/changed
Synonyms
  • temper

    often used for how easily someone gets annoyed; 'mood' is broader

  • spirits

    usually plural, focusing on cheerfulness or energy level

  • humour

    British English; very similar to mood but slightly more formal

Grammar Patterns

in a/an [adjective] mood

mood + verb

Common Mistakes

I am in a good emotion.
I am in a good mood.
'mood' is the specific word for temporary emotional states, not 'emotion'.
She has good mood.
She is in a good mood.
'be in a mood' is the fixed pattern, not 'have a mood'.

2. a short period when someone is easily irritated, angry, or impatient, often with

2.nounB1
Definition

a short period when someone is easily irritated, angry, or impatient, often without a clear reason.

Example

Vivek was in a mood all morning and snapped at everyone who spoke to him.

be in a mood — fixed phrase for being irritable

Lien warned her brother not to upset their mother, who was clearly in a mood.

Common collocations
  • in a mood
  • in one of your moods
  • mood passed
  • snap at someone when in a mood
Synonyms
  • tantrum

    a more dramatic, childish outburst; 'mood' is quieter

  • foul mood

    explicitly describes the quality of the anger

  • huff

    informal; implies offended rather than aggressive anger

Grammar Patterns

be in a mood

in one of your moods

Usage Note

The phrase 'in a mood' (without a descriptive adjective) specifically means irritable or bad-tempered, not just any emotional state. 'In one of your moods' is more emphatic and suggests this happens regularly.

Common Mistakes

He is in a moody.
He is in a mood.' or 'He is moody.
'mood' is a noun; 'moody' is an adjective. Do not mix them.

3. the shared emotional tone across a team, audience, or crowd, or the general feel

3.nounB2
Definition

the shared emotional tone across a team, audience, or crowd, or the general feeling within a particular setting — such as the tension in a meeting room or the excitement at a sports stadium.

Example

The mood at the town hall meeting was tense after the mayor announced budget cuts.

the mood (at a place) was [adjective] — describing atmosphere

Yasmin could feel the excited mood of the crowd as the band walked on stage.

Common collocations
  • the mood in the room/office/country
  • mood of the crowd/nation/public
  • a mood of optimism/uncertainty/tension
  • the national/political/public mood
  • mood turned [adjective]
Synonyms
  • atmosphere

    emphasises the environment; 'mood' emphasises shared feeling

  • spirit

    often more positive and energetic than mood

  • climate

    more long-term and abstract; 'political climate' vs 'political mood'

Grammar Patterns

the mood + preposition

a mood of [noun]

Usage Note

This sense is used for a group or place, not for an individual's emotions. Common subjects include 'the crowd', 'the nation', 'the room', 'voters', and 'the public'.

Common Mistakes

The mood of the room was that everyone was very happy.
The mood in the room was joyful.
use an adjective for the mood itself, not a clause.

4. a grammatical category of verb forms that shows the speaker's attitude toward an

4.nounC1
Definition

a grammatical category of verb forms that shows the speaker's attitude toward an action or state — whether it is presented as a fact, a command, a question, a wish, or a hypothetical situation.

Example

In English, the subjunctive mood is used to express wishes or hypothetical situations.

the subjunctive/indicative/imperative mood — naming grammatical categories

Andrei's teacher explained the difference between the indicative and imperative moods using simple sentences.

Common collocations
  • indicative mood
  • subjunctive mood
  • imperative mood
  • conditional mood
  • in the ... mood

Grammar Patterns

the [adjective] mood

mood of a verb

Usage Note

This is a technical grammar term. The three moods most commonly taught to learners are the indicative (for facts), imperative (for commands), and subjunctive (for wishes or hypotheticals). In some frameworks, the conditional is also treated as a mood.

Common Mistakes

I wish I was there.
I wish I were there.
The subjunctive mood uses 'were' instead of 'was' in unreal conditions.
Idioms

in the mood (for something / to do something)

idiom

feeling that you want to do a particular thing, or that you are ready to enjoy a particular activity.

Reuben said he is not in the mood for a long movie tonight and would rather watch a short show.

I am not in the mood to argue with anyone right now, so let us just agree to disagree.

Word family

  • moody
    adjectiveB1
  • moodily
    adverbB2
  • moodiness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Mood, emotion, feeling, and temperament all relate to a person's inner state, but they differ in duration and focus. 'Mood' refers to a temporary emotional state that lasts hours or a day — for example, waking up in a cheerful mood. 'Emotion' is a stronger, shorter-lived reaction to a specific event, such as fear during a storm or joy at a wedding. 'Feeling' is the broadest term and can include physical sensations (a feeling of cold) as well as emotions. 'Temperament' describes a person's long-term, stable personality pattern — someone with a calm temperament rarely has extreme moods. In everyday conversation, use 'mood' for passing states: 'I am in a good mood today.' Use 'emotion' when naming the response itself: 'Anger is a powerful emotion.'

mood ↗emotion ↗feeling ↗temperament

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • be in a ... mood
  • put someone in a ... mood
  • the mood of the crowd

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishProto-GermanicEnglish

The word 'mood' comes from Old English 'mōd', which meant 'mind, spirit, courage, or disposition'. It is related to Old Norse 'móðr' (anger, courage), Old High German 'muot' (mind, spirit), and Gothic 'mōþs' (courage). The grammatical sense (verb moods) developed later through Latin 'modus' meaning 'measure, manner, or mode', giving rise to the idea of different 'modes' or 'moods' of verb expression. The emotional and grammatical meanings have coexisted in English since the Middle English period.