English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate » Unit 43: Pleasant and unpleasant feelings
George: ‘I'm just not feeling very happy today. Everything seems to have gone wrong.’
Katie: ‘I like my life and I have nothing to complain about.’
Pilar: ‘I felt so good that nothing bad had happened. It could have been a disaster.’
Max: ‘I've had enough of all the arguments and the bad atmosphere at work.’
Agnes: ‘I felt very happy when I heard she had an interview for the job.’
Sara: ‘Thank you. you for helping me today.’
Carlos: ‘I've been so unhappy for a long time. I've been seeing a psychiatrist.’
Stefan: ‘I just don't understand. Was that his wife or his daughter?’
| Who feels ... | name |
| 1. fed up with something? | |
| 2. depressed? | _____ |
| 3. content? | _____ |
| 4. grateful? | _____ |
| 5. miserable? | _____ |
| 6. thankful? | _____ |
| 7. confused? | _____ |
| 8. delighted? | _____ |
You feel ...
content(ed) when you are satisfied with what you have. Content is not used before a noun. You can say 'She is content/contented' but only 'a contented person'.
He's very content with his life. He's always been a contented person.
grateful when someone has done something thoughtful for you. Note: You feel thankful if something bad that could have happened did not happen.
I'm really grateful to you for helping me with my project.
delighted when something has happened that gives you great pleasure, when you hear news of someone's good fortune, for instance.
I was delighted to hear you're getting married!
miserable when everything seems wrong in your life.
I felt miserable all day yesterday - maybe it was just the grey, cold weather.
discontented when your life is not giving you satisfaction.
She's very discontented with her job and is going to look for a new one.
fed up / sick and tired when you have had enough of something disagreeable.
I'm fed up with Olivia's rudeness, and sick (and tired) of her bad behaviour.
depressed when you are miserable over a long period of time. Depression is considered an illness in some severe cases.
I felt depressed after having ten job interviews and not getting a job.
confused when you cannot make sense of different conflicting feelings or ideas.
I feel so confused - last week she said she loved me passionately, this week she said we were just good friends.
felt inspired after the concert. I've decided to take piano lessons. [stimulated to do something positive or creative]
The argument I had with Eva the other night really upset me. [made me feel unhappy]
I was quite enthusiastic about my tennis lessons at first, but the teacher isn't very good and now I just feel frustrated. [enthusiastic: had very positive feelings] [frustrated: a feeling of being unable to do something you really want to do]
She was so thrilled when she got a job with a TV company. She's always wanted to work in the media. [feeling when something extremely exciting and pleasing happens]
I was so nervous before the exam, and then I felt anxious before the results came out, but I passed with a high grade. [nervous: feeling nervous is a bit like feeling excited but it is a negative feeling] [anxious: when you are afraid and uncertain about the future]
I was furious with the waiter. The service was slow and he spilt coffee over my shirt. [extremely angry]
Really can be used with all the adjectives on this page. Absolutely goes only with the words describing extreme states, i.e. delighted, fed up, sick and tired, thrilled, furious. With these words quite means absolutely, but with the other less extreme words, quite means rather.
The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for elementary level (A2) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with 60 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.
The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for pre-intermediate and intermediate level (B1) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with 100 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.
The words you need to communicate with confidence. Vocabulary explanations and practice for advanced level (C1 to C2) learners of English. Perfect for both self-study and classroom activities. Quickly expand your vocabulary with over 100 units of easy to understand explanations and practice exercises.