FEELING Synonyms: 386 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'feeling' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of feeling are affection , emotion , passion , and sentiment . While all these words mean "a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation," feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it. // the feelings that once moved me are gone

Q: When can 'affection' be used instead of 'feeling'?

The words affection and feeling can be used in similar contexts, but affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings. // a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

Q: How do 'emotion' and 'feeling' relate to one another?

Emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling , encompasses both positive and negative responses. // the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence

Q: When could 'passion' be used to replace 'feeling'?

The words passion and feeling are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion. // revenge became his ruling passion

Q: When might 'sentiment' be a better fit than 'feeling'?

The meanings of sentiment and feeling largely overlap; however, sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea. // her feminist sentiments are well known

feeling 1 of 3

noun

ˈfē-liŋ

Definition of feeling

as in emotion

a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation an overall feeling of happiness about their new home

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in passions

feelings plural general emotional condition a remark that thoughtlessly hurt her feelings

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in belief

an idea that is believed to be true or valid without positive knowledge an interesting think piece in which the congresswoman expressed her feelings about our nation's most pressing problems

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fact
truth

as in feel

an indefinite physical response to a stimulus that odd feeling of forward movement you get when the parked car next to you backs out

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in sympathy

sorrow or the capacity to feel sorrow for another's suffering or misfortune a rich person without much feeling for those who are less fortunate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in kindness

the capacity for feeling for another's unhappiness or misfortune a woman of great feeling, the princess wanted to use her status and influence to help the needy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

feeling

2 of 3

adjective

as in loving

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

feeling

3 of 3

verb

present participle of feel

as in sensing

to have a vague awareness of I feel trouble brewing in the town

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in touching

to come into bodily contact with (something) so as to perceive a slight pressure on the skin feel this blanket and perceive how soft it is

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in experiencing

to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it with the birth of their first child the couple came to feel true happiness for the first time

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in thinking

to have as an opinion I just feel that we haven't explored all of our options for raising funds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fumbling

to search for something blindly or uncertainly the sudden blackout had us feeling around in the dark for a flashlight

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in seeming

to give the impression of being it felt like a good idea at the time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word feeling distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of feeling are affection, emotion, passion, and sentiment. While all these words mean "a subjective response to a person, thing, or situation," feeling denotes any partly mental, partly physical response marked by pleasure, pain, attraction, or repulsion; it may suggest the mere existence of a response but imply nothing about the nature or intensity of it.

the feelings that once moved me are gone

When can affection be used instead of feeling?

The words affection and feeling can be used in similar contexts, but affection applies to feelings that are also inclinations or likings.

a memoir of childhood filled with affection for her family

How do emotion and feeling relate to one another?

Emotion carries a strong implication of excitement or agitation but, like feeling, encompasses both positive and negative responses.

the drama portrays the emotions of adolescence

When could passion be used to replace feeling?

The words passion and feeling are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, passion suggests a very powerful or controlling emotion.

revenge became his ruling passion

When might sentiment be a better fit than feeling?

The meanings of sentiment and feeling largely overlap; however, sentiment often implies an emotion inspired by an idea.

her feminist sentiments are well known

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of feeling

Noun

Americans, along with the rest of the world, know that feeling, too. — Scott Simon, NPR, 8 Aug. 2026 Add in a sport element, and the feeling of sharing the joy of winning with fellow fans of the same team or athlete is intoxicating. — Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026

Verb

Witnesses reported feeling the shaking across the capital and all the way to the coast in Barranquilla, as well as in Ecuador to the south. — CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 Hearn has a status hearing scheduled for September on the dismissal question, and is feeling optimistic. — Scott Detrow, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for feeling

Recent Examples of Synonyms for feeling

Noun

By identifying exactly what the frustration concerns before reacting, leaders are more likely to channel emotion toward fixing broken systems instead of attacking individuals.

— Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Cognitive behavioral therapy can teach the woman to identify emotions and change thought patterns.

— Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of emotion

Noun

Basketball and baseball were his sporting passions growing up in New York, before embarking on a 40-year career in the aviation industry.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Whether the race ever happens, the idea is pure Shaq, a celebrity who's renowned for indulging his passions, of which cars are near the top of the list.

— Terry Baddoo, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of passions

Noun

White, Clark and others with the Fever have been asked to respond to Cunningham’s beliefs since, and other voices in the league have weighed in as well.

— Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
States without personal-belief exemptions consistently have higher vaccination rates – and are less likely to see outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases – than states that do allow them.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of belief

Noun

There’s an incredibly welcoming feel, and no staffer blinks an eye at accommodating a baby or rowdy teens.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
But these technical qualities only throw into relief the plastic, uncanny-valley feel of the characters whizzing about this latter-day Skull Island.

— Caspar Salmon, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of feel

Verb

The humanoid also features tactile sensing in its hands and a 360-degree camera system to perceive its surroundings.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
Small variations in genetics, especially those genes involved in sensing molecules produced in the body or influenced by the gut biome, could affect the results.

— Baltimore Sun, Boston Herald, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of sensing

Articles Related to feeling

Cite this Entry

Style

“Feeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/feeling. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of feeling

noun

adjective

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Obscure Words for Everyday Feelings

TFW

10 Uncommon Emotional Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on feeling

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

circumscribe

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes