Word for not feeling happy or sad

Table of Contents

  1. What is opposite of warm?
  2. What is the opposite of warm warm?
  3. Is cold the opposite of heat?
  4. What do you call a person who is not happy?
  5. What is a next word for unhappy?
  6. Is vainglory a deadly sin?
  7. What is sinful pride?
  8. Are there 8 Deadly Sins?
  9. What are the 7 Sins in order?
  10. What are the 3 most important virtues?
  11. What is the greatest virtue?

SYNONYMS FOR unhappy 1 sorrowful, downcast, cheerless, distressed. 2 hapless. 3 unpropitious. 4 inappropriate, inapt.

What is opposite of warm?

warm. Antonyms: frigid, cold, tepid, starved, indifferent, cool, unexcited, passionless.

What is the opposite of warm warm?

Opposite of giving off heat. cold. cool.

Is cold the opposite of heat?

Heat (qua noun) is the opposite of cold (qua noun). For the verb form of “heat”, the opposite is “cool”: “My soup is cold, I need to heat it.”

What do you call a person who is not happy?

A morose person is sullen, gloomy, sad, glum, and depressed — not a happy camper. This word is stronger than just sad — morose implies being extremely gloomy and depressed. We all can be morose at times, like after the death of a friend or family member.

What is a next word for unhappy?

The definition of dismal is something that is gloomy that makes you feel sad. In this page you can discover 87 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for unhappy, like: dull, miserable, sad, down, tristful, dejected, melancholic, sorry, heavy-hearted, gloomy and downcast.

Is vainglory a deadly sin?

In Christian teachings, both vainglory and pride are considered as cardinal sins. However, vainglory isn’t part of the original seven deadly sins model prescribed by the Medieval Church. On the other hand, pride has a prominent role as the most serious and first deadly sin. Its counterpart virtue is humility.

What is sinful pride?

Lust, envy, anger, greed, gluttony and sloth are all bad, the sages say, but pride is the deadliest of all, the root of all evil, and the beginning of sin. Pride is self-respect and self-esteem, he says, but then warns that pride is arrogance and hubris as well.

Are there 8 Deadly Sins?

The original 8 temptations of man were: Gluttony, Fornication, Avarice, Sorrow, Anger, Discouragement, Vainglory and Pride. On this website we have 8 deadly sins representing 8 categories all created with positive connotations deviating from negative implications from the usual meaning of the deadly sins.

What are the 7 Sins in order?

According to Roman Catholic theology, the seven deadly sins are the seven behaviours or feelings that inspire further sin. They are typically ordered as: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth.

What are the 3 most important virtues?

The “cardinal” virtues are not the same as the three theological virtues: Faith, Hope and Charity (Love), named in 1 Corinthians 13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

What is the greatest virtue?

Kindness

depressed, despondent, miserable, sorry, calamitous, unfortunate, troubled, bleak, blue, cheerless, crestfallen, chapfallen, dejected, destroyed, disconsolate, discouraged, dismal, dispirited, distressed, doleful.

Also What is a state of unhappiness? A feeling of being sad or discontent is unhappiness. … The noun unhappiness is all about a state of being unhappy or, in other words, a lack of happiness. This can mean a feeling of deep sorrow, like your unhappiness when your beloved pet turtle dies.

Likewise What are synonyms for unhappy below? Unhappy’ means not happy. ‘ Hardworking’ means laborious. ‘ Disappointed‘ means being unhappy because something did not happen per your expectation. Thus, option C is the correct answer.

What do you do when you are not happy? What to Do If Nothing Makes You Happy

  • Change Your Mindset.
  • End Rumination and Engage in Problem Solving.
  • Get Some Exercise.
  • Develop Healthy Habits.
  • Practice Meditation and Yoga.
  • Reconnect With Joy.
  • Consider Professional Help.
  • Next in Small Ways to Feel Better When You’re Depressed Guide. 7 Things You Can Do If You Feel Helpless.

How do you express unhappiness?

How to tell your manager you’re unhappy

  1. Understand the issues. The first step you should take is to put your thoughts about your current work situation in writing. …
  2. Prepare what you will say. …
  3. Schedule a meeting. …
  4. Monitor your body language. …
  5. Explain why you’re unhappy. …
  6. Present solutions. …
  7. Ask for ideas. …
  8. Move forward.

What’s a word for deep sadness? Melancholy is beyond sad: as a noun or an adjective, it’s a word for the gloomiest of spirits. Being melancholy means that you’re overcome in sorrow, wrapped up in sorrowful thoughts. The word started off as a noun for deep sadness, from a rather disgusting source.

What does dissatisfied mean? Definition of dissatisfied

: expressing or showing lack of satisfaction : not pleased or satisfied dissatisfied customers dissatisfied with his response.

What is unhappiness human values? Unhappiness is a lack of this synergy or harmony. To be in a state of disliking is unhappiness. Happy situations comprise of feelings such as trust, respect, confidence etc. All these feelings carry an element of harmony in them. Hence they make us feel relaxed and happy.

How do you say you are not happy about something?

Synonyms & Antonyms of unhappy

  1. bad,
  2. blue,
  3. brokenhearted,
  4. cast down,
  5. crestfallen,
  6. dejected,
  7. depressed,
  8. despondent,

What are 5 synonyms for happy? happy

  • cheerful.
  • contented.
  • delighted.
  • ecstatic.
  • elated.
  • glad.
  • joyful.
  • joyous.

Can you love someone and still be unhappy?

Love is not supposed to be so hard. Yes, love requires compromise, and it requires change but it should not feel like it is difficult to change a few things about your life for that person. The person you are in love with doesn’t have to be bad. …

When should you give up on a relationship? Here, experts explain some of the signs that indicate it may be time to let go:

  • Your needs aren’t being met. …
  • You’re seeking those needs from others. …
  • You’re scared to ask for more from your partner. …
  • Your friends and family don’t support your relationship. …
  • You feel obligated to stay with your partner.

When should you quit a relationship?

11 signs you should leave your relationship

  • Physical and/or emotional abuse. Someone who loves you will never physically or emotionally hurt you. …
  • Cheating. …
  • No sense of purpose. …
  • Deceit. …
  • Addiction. …
  • Lack of respect. …
  • Emotional distance. …
  • Prolonged unhappiness.

How do you express sadness in text?

Try using words like “unhappy,” “upset,” “lonely,” “down in the dumps,” or something similar. Some examples could be: “I’ve been feeling pretty sad about the breakup recently,” “I’m upset that I don’t get to go to the dance anymore.”

How do you express sadness in words? Related words

  1. keen. verb. mainly literary to make a long high sound expressing pain or sadness.
  2. lament. verb. to show publicly that you feel sad or disappointed about something.
  3. lament. noun. something that people say that shows sadness or disappointment.
  4. lamentation. noun. …
  5. moan. verb. …
  6. mourn. verb. …
  7. shed tears. phrase. …
  8. sorrow. verb.

How do you express extreme sadness? First up:

  1. Down in the mouth. The first idiom on our list that expresses sadness means to look unhappy. …
  2. Down in the dumps. …
  3. Reduce to tears. …
  4. Lump in your throat. …
  5. Feeling blue/to have the blues. …
  6. Face like a wet weekend.

Is Discontent an attitude?

the state or attitude of not being satisfied; discontent; displeasure. a particular cause or feeling of displeasure or disappointment: many dissatisfactions with the plan.

What are the examples of dissatisfaction? Dissatisfaction is defined as the state of being unhappy, or the thing causing the unhappiness. An example of dissatisfaction is feeling that a hotel did not meet the level of service expected.

Is Unsatisfied an emotion?

An emotional need “is a craving that, when satisfied, leaves you with a feeling of happiness and contentment, and, when unsatisfied, leaves you with a feeling of unhappiness and frustration,” says clinical psychologist and author, Dr.

What is the basic aspiration of human being? What are the requirements to fulfill basic human aspirations? ANS. Our basic aspirations are happiness (mutual fulfilment) and prosperity (mutual prosperity). Happiness is ensured by the relationships with other human beings and prosperity is ensured by working on physical facilities.

Who is responsible for happiness and unhappiness?

Answer: You need to make sure you are living your best possible life. The only person responsible for your happiness is you. Our mind and thoughts are responsible for our happiness and unhappiness.

What are the three realities to know for a human being? CMS also believes that human beings have three realities, that is, (i) material (ii) human and (iii) divine. Only a balanced development of all the three realities of life can make an individual a total quality person and a useful member of society.

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I think the word you are looking for is disinterested. It’s meaning is, of course, quite different to uninterested.

When Chelsea play Arsenal I shall be disinterested in the result, as I do not support either team. I shall, however, watch the match with great interest on Match of the Day.

This curious situation arises because the word interest has two quite different meanings. I am disinterested as to the price of Rolls Royce shares (because I don’t have any), but I am interested as to how they are performing, simply because I am fascinated by economic news.

The whole question of the public interest has been a topic of recent debate in the UK, concerning tabloid journalism. Newspapers, such as the now defunct News of the World, regularly publish sensational stories on their front pages about the love lives of celebrities. Often this involves their journalists invading people’s privacy in the most underhanded way e.g by tapping their mobile phones. There is no public interest involved in people knowing these things, say many. The stories are nonetheless of great interest to the public’ who buy the newspapers.

Many people in France argue that there is no public interest at stake, regardless of whether President Francois Hollande is having an affair. But the story is certainly interesting the public.

In this lesson, you’re going to learn 60 negative feelings in English. Also check out 8 Better Words for “Happy” Plus 33 More Positive Emotion Adjectives & Idioms.

Talking about our feelings, especially negative feelings, isn’t easy — even in our first language.

So today I’m going to show you different words to describe negative emotions in English.

You’re going to learn:

  • Other words for sad
  • Other words for angry
  • Other words for anxious
  • Other words for jealous
  • Other words for regretful
  • Other words for bored
  • Other words for tired

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Other Words for “Anxious”

Negative feelings: other words for "anxious"

VOICE IN YOUR HEAD: What if it breaks?
YOU: But this is Canada! Nothing breaks here!
VOICE IN YOUR HEAD: Nothing’s perfect. Remember that story in the news last year?
YOU: It’ll be fine.
VOICE IN YOUR HEAD: But will it?
YOU: … erm …

Nervous

In many languages, “nervous” and “excited” have the same meaning.

So sometimes I hear, “I have to go to see the doctor today. I’m excited.”

Which isn’t the feeling I usually get when I have to go and see the doctor. Unless it’s THE doctor:

Doctor Who

Doctor Who Series 8 by Doctor Who Spoilers | CC BY 2.0

So “nervous” is basically the negative of “excited.” That feeling before an exam, seeing the doctor or when you’re about to cross a massive rope bridge.

Stressed

OK. We all know what this means, right?

Just remember that “stressed” is how you feel — not “stressful.”

Use “stressed” for the situation:

“I’m stressed. This Christmas shopping is really stressful. Perhaps I should become a pagan or something.”

Afraid

OK. As you’re about to see, we have three words for “afraid” and at least two for “very afraid.”

The first word for “afraid” is … erm … “afraid.”

Blog lists sometimes aren’t as simple as they seem to be.

Scared

This means “afraid.”

“It’s only a quick checkup — nothing to be scared of.”

Frightened

And again — it means “afraid.”

Why do we have so many words for “afraid”?

Why is Samuel L. Jackson in every film ever made?

The answer to both those questions is … “I don’t know.”

Terrified

This one means “very afraid.”

“Scared of spiders? He’s absolutely terrified of them.”

Petrified

This one also means “very afraid,” so it’s like “terrified,” but there’s a little extra meaning in there.

Originally this word meant “turned into stone.”

So it’s like you’re so frightened that you can’t move.

Like you’ve been turned into stone.

Unsettled

This is a mix of “worried” and “anxious.”

When you just can’t relax.

Think about how a mother might feel when her teenage kid is out with his friends.

She’s not relaxing until he’s home, right?

Or when you’re waiting for your latest exam result.

On edge

This is pretty much the same as “unsettled.”

Sometimes we use it to describe a personal characteristic.

We’ve all met that guy, right? The one who just can’t relax. Always worried about something.

He’s on edge.

“Every time the president says something it puts me on edge.”

Have butterflies in your stomach

Feeling nervous?

Then you’ve got butterflies in your stomach.

Nice phrase, yeah? I mean, it really feels like that sometimes, right?

Apprehensive

You know that feeling?

Something bad’s going to happen. But you don’t know what.

And you don’t know why.

You just know.

It’s basically about feeling worried about the future, even though there may not be any reason to.

Distressed

You might have noticed the word “stressed” in “distressed.”

Well, it’s similar but not quite the same.

“Distressed” means “upset” or “worried.”

Jittery

This is also a bit like “on edge” or “unsettled.”

And this time, we can really see it.

He just won’t sit down! Or stop walking up and down the room.

Think about someone who’s had too much coffee.

Fidgety

“Oh sit still! Please! You’re so fidgety.”
“I can’t — I’m too nervous. He’ll be here any moment.”

This one means you’re so nervous that you can’t stop moving parts of your body.

Maybe you’re kicking your leg against the chair or maybe just moving your hands around.

It’s similar to “jittery.”

Restless

A lot of these adjectives describe someone moving around because they’re too nervous.

And this is another one of those.

When you’re restless, you can’t relax because you’re too worried.

Uneasy

This one is quite general.

Use it to describe a general feeling of anxiety or discomfort.

Other Words for “Angry”

Negative feelings: other words for "angry"

Grrrr! She’s really angry.

But I would be too. I’m always angry when someone steals my dolls.

Furious

Very angry.

Livid

Very, very angry. We’re talking more than dolls here.

“How did he react to the news?”
“He was absolutely livid!”

Pissed off

Very angry. But be careful with this one — it’s pretty rude. Friends only!

Annoyed

Slightly angry and irritated.

It’s quite a low-level anger. Like when the builders next door are making loads of noise. Or that bee won’t leave you alone.

Miffed

This is basically the same as “annoyed.” It’s rather British, though.

“To be honest, I was a bit miffed when I found out they’d all gone to watch the new Star Wars film without me.”

Bitter

The older I get, the more I make sure I don’t get bitter.

You can look at people younger than you and say, “Hey! That’s cool! Look at them! I was that young once, but now it’s over and everything’s fine.”

Or you could choose to be bitter about it — hating the young because you just don’t have that fresh-faced beauty and trust in the world anymore.

I usually go for the first option. It’s the better one, right?

Enraged

Really, really angry. The same as “furious.”

It’s amazing how many words we have for “angry,” isn’t it?

Exasperated

Furious. Enraged. Pissed off. Very, very angry.

Why do we have so many of these?

At (your) wit’s end

When you’ve run out of patience, and you’re ready to explode!

“I’ve tried and tried, but I can’t get the pieces to fit. Honestly, I’m at wit’s end!”

Cross

This is basically the same as “angry.”

But it’s a little weaker.

I usually think of a mother saying something like:

“If you push that dog one more time, I’m going to be very cross with you.”

Fuming

Absolutely furious!

Again — we have a lot of words for “very, very angry.”

I’d like to know why.

Irate

Here’s another one. It means “very, very angry.”

Incensed

The last one. Guess what it means? Yep! Furious! Enraged! Pissed off! Livid! Fuming!

Or very, very angry.

Other Words for “Sad”

Negative feelings: other words for "sad"

She’s gone! The love of his life!

And they only got nine days together.

He’ll never forget her! Maybe.

Down

“Hey, how’s it going?”
“I dunno. I’m feeling a bit down today.”

Sometimes we just feel a bit sad. Maybe there’s a reason for it or maybe there isn’t.

Either way, we can say we’re feeling down.

Low

Or if you’re bored of using “down,” use “low” instead. They have the same meaning.

Both “down” and “low” are idiomatic adjectives.

Down in the dumps

“What’s a ‘dump’?” you might ask.

A dump is that place where all your rubbish goes after it gets collected.

Kind of a sad place, isn’t it?

Depressed

This is actually a medical term and can be a serious psychological disorder.

But sometimes we also use it when someone’s kind of “long-term” unhappy.

Maybe they’ve just split up with someone.

Or maybe they’ve been reading the news too much.

“I think he’s depressed. He hasn’t left the house for weeks.”

Unhappy

Erm … not happy.

Or sad.

Melancholic

This is an interesting one.

It’s a kind of sadness but has a daydreamlike quality to it.

It kind of feels like this:

via GIPHY

We often use it to describe the arts, like a melancholic song or a melancholic picture.

A melancholic scene in a film would have a kind of dreamy sadness to it.

Sullen

He’s in a bad mood, and he won’t really talk to anyone.

At best you’ll get a one-word answer from him.

He’s being sullen.

Sulky

This is similar to “sullen,” though a little more negative.

She hasn’t got what she wanted, and now she’s going to sulk.

She’s going to ignore you and not talk to you.

“Don’t be so sulky. There’ll be another ice cream van soon.”

Heartbroken

Have you ever suffered from a broken heart?

Remember that feeling? That’s being heartbroken.

Hurts, doesn’t it?

Crestfallen

So you got the promotion! You’ve been made mega-super-boss-manager, and you’re going to be on that massive salary, working in New York, company car, Manhattan penthouse flat. Everything!

Then you find out that you got the wrong memo, and in fact, you’ve been fired.

Very disappointed, right?

And sad. Very, very sad.

Or crestfallen.

Other Words for “Jealous”

Negative feelings: other words for "jealous"

She loves him.

He loves her.

And that other guy just isn’t happy about that.

Envious

There’s a subtle difference between envy and jealousy.

Jealousy is about fear — fear of losing something (or usually someone) to another person.

Envy is just that feeling of “You have that. And I want it!”

Green with envy

Yep. Envy comes in a colour.

And that colour is green!

You can use this like an adjective:

“Oh! You should’ve seen him! He was green with envy!”

The green-eyed monster

This one comes from the Shakespeare play, Othello.

We use it to describe jealousy as a character.

Some quick research shows that we can talk about dealing with the green-eyed monster, taming the green-eyed monster or how the green-eyed monster is a problem to overcome.

“They were getting along just fine. Then the green-eyed monster reared its ugly head.”

Yeah. Jealousy’s ugly.

Resentful

Have you ever been treated unfairly?

Maybe the cops stopped you for no reason.

Or maybe the guy who buys cakes for the boss got the promotion, even though he can’t count past 199.

Then you probably felt resentful.

Other Words for “Regretful”

Negative feelings: other words for "regretful"

“I can’t believe what I’ve done! I’ll never find a 1980s orange-and-brown vase again!”

Yeah. That’s probably a good thing.

Ashamed

Back in December, we looked at the differences between “ashamed” and “embarrassed.”

To summarise, shame is a negative feeling you get as a result of something about YOU.

Perhaps it’s because of something you’ve done that didn’t meet your own personal standards.

Embarrassed

If feeling ashamed is because of something you did that didn’t meet your own personal standards, feeling embarrassed is more about how other people look at you.

You feel bad because they might be laughing at you or judging you in some way.

“After what she did last week, she’s too embarrassed to show her face at work.”

Guilty

Feeling guilty is related to feeling bad, but not for yourself (that’s “ashamed”) but for other people.

Let’s say you borrow a friend’s iPad, and you break it.

That feeling in your stomach that you get because your friend doesn’t have an iPad anymore? That’s guilt.

Remorseful

This word is quite strong and means “very, very regretful and guilty for something you’ve done.”

This feeling is usually a long-term one — the subconscious dealing with what you’ve done.

Other Words for “Bored”

Negative feelings: other words for "bored"

There he is — stuck in a conversation with Megan. Probably the most boring woman EVER!

He’ll never escape.

Bored stiff

Very bored — about one minute into a conversation with Megan.

“When can we go? I’m bored stiff.”

Bored out of my mind

Very, very bored — about a minute and a half into a conversation with Megan.

Uninterested

Not interested. But not totally bored.

Sick and tired

This is a little different.

We use this when we talk about something we’re doing.

So you can get sick and tired of watching Game of Thrones (this happened to me after one episode) or sick and tired of working in the same place every day.

Other Words for “Tired”

Negative feelings: other words for "tired"

“Please. No … more … cat … videos.”

Interestingly, there are different ways of feeling tired.

I mean — are you tired because you haven’t slept?

Or have you just been running around too much?

Fatigued

Fatigue is that special kind of tiredness that happens after repeating something for a long time.

Maybe you’ve been cycling for eight hours, and you suddenly just need to stop.

Or maybe you’ve been working far too long without a holiday.

Exhausted

Very, very tired.

“Exhaust” means “to completely finish or run out of something.”

When you’re exhausted, you’ve completely run out of energy.

Knackered

Very, very tired.

This one’s very British.

So say it to Americans and watch them get confused.

Great fun!

“I didn’t think I’d be so knackered after just one hour with those kids.”

Beat

This one’s more American than British.

But the British understand it because American stuff is EVERYWHERE! (I guess you noticed.)

It also means “very tired.”

Drained

This is similar to “exhausted.”

Very, very tired. Usually because you’ve been too active or stressed.

Sleepy

This is simply the state of wanting to sleep.

Your bed is calling you.

“What was in that drink? It’s made me so sleepy.”

Burned out

You work and work and work and work.

Then you snap. You just can’t work any more.

This is the feeling of extreme fatigue as a result of being overworked in the long term.

Take a break, yeah?

Drowsy

This is similar to “sleepy.”

Your eyes are half closed.

You want to go to sleep.

You say “hmmm….” instead of … well, instead of any sentence at all.

You’re drowsy.

It could be just because you need some sleep.

Or maybe you’ve had too much to drink.

Some medications also have a warning label:

“Warning: may cause drowsiness.”

Worn out

This basically means “very tired,” “exhausted” or “knackered.”

It comes from the phrasal verb “to wear someone out.”


Wow — that was a long list.

But you made it this far! Well done!

You now know 60 words to describe negative feelings and emotions.

As a reward, have some lovely carrot cake:

Carrot cake

Cake Club Carrot Cake by Mack Male | CC BY 2.0

But let’s finish with a question or two (or four):

  1. Have you ever got burned out? If so, how did you deal with it? If not, how do you avoid it?
  2. Is there anyone you know who makes you feel embarrassed? Who? Why?
  3. What do you do to cheer up when you’re down in the dumps?
  4. When was the last time you were bored out of your mind? Why?

Let me know in the comments!

As soon as you reply, I’ll leave mine! 🙂

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We can be happy when we’re pleased with how something has gone or a certain event in our life. We can be sad when something bad has happened that’s made us feel inadequate or down. However, did you know some words mean you can experience both at the same time?

What Word Is Best To Describe The Feeling Of Being Happy And Sad At The Same Time?

Bittersweet is the best word to describe the feeling of being happy and sad at the same time. There are other choices, which we will cover, but bittersweet works perfectly to cover both emotions (“bitter” showing sadness and “sweet” showing happiness).

What Word Is Best To Describe The Feeling Of Being Happy And Sad At The Same Time?

We’ll cover the words in slightly more detail as we go through the article, but the words you’ll see are:

  • Bittersweet
  • Tragicomic
  • Rueful
  • Ambivalent
  • Emotional

Bittersweet

The Cambridge Dictionary can help us with the definition of “bittersweet.” It is used to mean something “containing a mixture of sadness and happiness.”

A person can feel bittersweet for several reasons, but it’s the perfect example of a word that shows the mixed emotions one feels when they’re going through a hard time in their life while also feeling happy about something.

Both happy and sad are contradicting emotions, but that doesn’t mean you’re not able to feel both of them simultaneously. In fact, it’s more of a common feeling than you might realize.

The bittersweet feeling you get when you’re happy about something can arise for a number of reasons, for example:

  • If you won an event by accidentally cheating or tarnishing the competitor’s chances somehow.
  • If you recently lost a loved one but came into some really good news.
  • If something positive happened to you and not your friend, but you really wished it happened to you both.

These are just some of the ways we can see bittersweet emotions in our lives. You’ve more than likely come across it once or twice, and it’s a difficult feeling to explain.

Tragicomic

The Cambridge Dictionary gives us a definition of tragicomedy as “a (type of) play or story that is both sad and funny.” This definition is extended to “tragicomic,” which means it relates to this same sensation you get from the play or story.

A situation often seems more tragicomic, rather than it being a direct emotional you feel. However, it’s still possible to experience a tragicomic emotion of some kind.

If you have a tragicomic feeling or sensation, it’s usually because you’re already sad for some reason, but you found something ridiculously funny. The other incident is where something is so sad you can’t help but laugh, and that laughter often helps ease your sadness a little.

It’s not the best synonym for bittersweet, but it’s definitely one of the more closely related words to it that we can use. It’s also a great word to include in your vocabulary should you ever feel the need to say it.

Not many people have heard of tragicomic as a word before, so you could impress a few people.

Rueful

The Cambridge Dictionary refers to “rueful” as “feeling sorry and wishing that something had not happened.” If you look at the example they provide, it shows someone giving a “rueful laugh,” and this shows that “rueful” is used mostly in a dry and humorous way.

Generally, if we’re writing the word “rueful” in text, it comes before words like “smile” or “laugh.” It’s used in a humorous way to show that we wished something didn’t have to happen the way that it did, but there’s nothing we can do now but laugh at the situation.

Sometimes, that same feeling is applicable to normal life. Say you’re at a funeral for a loved one, and you remember something funny that the two of you did together. Sure, you shouldn’t be laughing at a funeral, but now you’re so overcome with rueful emotion you don’t know what else to do.

That’s generally when we would use “rueful” as an emotion. It shows that we’re sorry or apologetic for an outcome, but we often have to laugh at either the outcome or ourselves before it sends us spiraling into despair.

Ambivalent

Here, The Cambridge Dictionary uses a great definition for the word “ambivalent.” It means “having two opposing feelings at the same time, or being uncertain about how you feel.”

While a feeling of ambivalence doesn’t strictly have to apply to happiness and sadness (it could be calmness and anger, for example), it works as a great synonym for bittersweet. In fact, it’s probably the best word on this list besides bittersweet that works as a way to show two contrasting emotions.

On top of that, it’s a great word to include in your vocabulary. Not many people are familiar with a word as powerful as this, and it will show how well you understand your meaning if you get a chance to use it.

A feeling of ambivalence can appear anywhere in life. We typically use it when we’re not able to process our emotions, leading us to a state where we’re not entirely sure which of the two opposing emotions we feel.

It creates this idea of emotional limbo, where we’re both happy and sad. Both of those emotions cancel each other out, almost making us feel empty, or in the case of the Cambridge definition, “uncertain.”

Emotional

The Cambridge Dictionary teaches us that “emotional” means “having and expressing strong feelings.” While this doesn’t strictly imply that two contradicting emotions are felt at the same time, it works well as an alternative nonetheless.

When somebody is emotional, it’s often too difficult for that person to process their emotions and talk to you about what they’re feeling.

Significant, life-changing events can lead someone to become emotional. Say, for example, you win a lot of money in a competition that will change your life forever. Most people actually cry when they hear this news, which is a common response to sadness.

It’s this exact situation that leads the word emotional to being a really good synonym for bittersweet. When you’re so overcome with emotion, you don’t know whether to laugh or cry. If you hear bad news, you might laugh out loud; if you hear great news, you might cry happy tears. Either way, you’re so emotional that you don’t know what your body or brain is telling you!

All of the above words are an excellent way of saying you feel both happy and sad at the same time. It’s not a feeling you’ll come by often, but when you do, it’s helpful to have these words in your arsenal ready to use.

It also helps to expand your ability to write really impressive stories. If you’re able to have a strong handle on emotions in a novel, then people will be amazed at your writing skills and descriptive abilities.

Examples Of When You Can Feel Happy And Sad At The Same Time

While it’s great to know all of the words you can use to explain this feeling, that’s not enough. It’ll help if you also know when situations might occur that might lead you to feel bittersweet or ambivalent.

Graduating

Graduating is a huge event in any student’s life. It’s such a happy moment for most people because it means they’re turning over to the next page of their life and exploring new options.

However, graduation is often sad because it means saying goodbye to old friends and knowing that you most likely won’t see them again.

Changing Jobs

Just like graduation, changing a job in life is often seen as a huge milestone. If you’ve made the decision to further your career, then that will have a massive impact on your life and change you for the better. Usually, it’s a happy day.

However, it can be difficult to let go of the past. It can also be hard to say goodbye to colleagues, especially those that you consider friends. That’s what leads to these bittersweet moments in life.

Having A Baby

Having a baby is by far one of the most exciting and happy moments in any parent’s life. It’s the time to take on new responsibilities and start up a family with the people that you love.

However, having a baby also leads new parents to ask sad questions like whether they’re good enough to be a good parent or whether they’re right for the baby. This emotional back and forth leads to some serious bittersweet sensations.

Beating A Friend (Sporting Event)

Beating a friend in a competition is a great way to show that you’ve earned your spot in the podium position. However, we often want to encourage our friends to be the best versions of themselves and need to push each other to get there.

While beating a friend can be exciting and lead to happiness; you may also take away their own pride, which is an unhappy sensation at the same time. There’s a very fine balance between these things.

You may also like:

10 Better Ways To Say “Happy” In English

10 Words For Being Sad And Beautiful At The Same Time

martin lassen dam grammarhow

Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.

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