- Emotion
- Emotion E*mo"tion, n. [L. emovere, emotum, to remove, shake,
stir up; e out + movere to move: cf. F. ['e]motion. See
{Move}, and cf. {Emmove}.]
A moving of the mind or soul; excitement of the feelings,
whether pleasing or painful; disturbance or agitation of mind
caused by a specific exciting cause and manifested by some
sensible effect on the body.
[1913 Webster]
How different the emotions between departure and return! --W. Irving. [1913 Webster]
Some vague emotion of delight. --Tennyson.
Syn: Feeling; agitation; tremor; trepidation; perturbation; passion; excitement.
Usage: {Emotion}, {Feeling}, {Agitation}. Feeling is the weaker term, and may be of the body or the mind. Emotion is of the mind alone, being the excited action of some inward susceptibility or feeling; as, an emotion of pity, terror, etc. Agitation may be bodily or mental, and usually arises in the latter case from a vehement struggle between contending desires or emotions. See {Passion}. ``Agitations have but one character, viz., that of violence; emotions vary with the objects that awaken them. There are emotions either of tenderness or anger, either gentle or strong, either painful or pleasing.'' --Crabb. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.