Collocations for Feelings and Emotions

Collocations for Feelings and Emotions in English (with Examples)

Hello, English learners! Do you ever struggle to express your emotions in English? Instead of just saying I’m happy or I’m sad, you can use natural expressions like blissfully happy or worried sick to sound more fluent and expressive. In this lesson, you’ll learn 11 common collocations for feelings and emotions — useful for everyday conversation and exam writing (especially at B2–C1 level). Let’s dive in!

The English teachers at My Lingua Academy are here to help you improve your English! You can join our online lessons or explore hundreds of free blog posts full of grammar, vocabulary, idioms, phrasal verbs, and quizzes.

😊 Be in a Good/Bad Mood

If you’re in a good mood, you feel cheerful and positive. If you’re in a bad mood, you feel irritated or unhappy.

• The boss is in a good mood today — we should ask him about the promotion!
• Michael apologised for being in a bad mood; he had an argument that morning.
• Sara has been in a bad mood all day ever since she saw her ex-boyfriend with another woman.

😭 Be Overwhelmed with Emotions

If you’re overwhelmed with emotions, you feel such strong emotions that it’s difficult to control them.

• When she saw her grandson after fifteen years, Fiona was overwhelmed with emotions.
• Sandra was overwhelmed with grief when her friend died.
• This expression can be used for both positive and negative feelings.

🤩 Be Thrilled to Bits

If you’re thrilled to bits, you’re extremely happy or excited about something.

• Kay was thrilled to bits when she passed her exam. Collocations for Feelings and Emotions
• The children were thrilled to bits with their Christmas presents.
• I’m thrilled to bits with my new computer — it’s absolutely amazing!

🥰 Blissfully Happy

If you’re blissfully happy, you’re completely happy and content — nothing can spoil your mood.

• Jake and Brenda were blissfully happy together.
• Karen seemed blissfully happy during her holiday in Greece.

💔 Break My Heart

When someone deeply disappoints or hurts you emotionally, you can say they broke your heart.

• It broke John’s heart when his wife left him.
• Is it wise to give her another chance after she broke your heart?

😩 Emotional Wreck

An emotional wreck is someone who feels exhausted, sad, or unstable due to stress, disappointment, or trauma.

• When he remembered the war years, he became an emotional wreck.
• Her poor diet and constant stress turned her into an emotional wreck. Collocations for Feelings and Emotions

😠 Have Hard Feelings

If you have hard feelings towards someone, you still feel angry or bitter about something that happened in the past.

• Ella admitted having hard feelings toward her colleagues after the argument.
• Ben and I disagreed, but I have no hard feelings towards him.

🤔 Have Mixed Feelings

If you have mixed feelings about something, you feel both positive and negative emotions at the same time.

• Monica had mixed feelings about her new job — she liked the hours but disliked the salary.
• I’d love to study abroad, but I don’t want to leave my family. I have mixed feelings about it.

💭 A Heavy Heart

If you do something with a heavy heart, you feel sad or miserable while doing it.

• With a heavy heart, Sophia waved goodbye to her husband at the train station.
• Mark handed in his exam paper with a heavy heart.

😤 Sick and Tired

If you’re sick and tired of something, you’re fed up with it and can’t stand it any longer.

• I’m sick and tired of my boring job. Collocations for Feelings and Emotions
• The workers were sick and tired of their boss’s unreasonable demands.

😰 Worried Sick

If you’re extremely anxious about something, you’re worried sick.

• Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick about you!
• Peter was worried sick about what his father would say.

If you really want to learn English but don’t know how to do it and where to start, don’t hesitate to contact us. Book an online English lesson with one of our certified and experienced English teachers and take a test and consultation! Click the button to learn more!