Explore a comprehensive list of 72 emotions that start with the letter C, revealing the rich variety of human feelings from “Caged” to “Cynical.” These emotions cover a wide range—from states like calm and cheerful to traits such as compassionate and cocky—offering insight into how we experience and express ourselves emotionally around the world. Notice how this set includes both common emotions and less usual but still widely recognized feelings, providing a full picture of the emotional spectrum beginning with C.
Dive into the detailed table below to learn about each emotion’s nature, meaning, and real-life use.
Type This column identifies whether the emotion is a temporary state, a lasting trait, a specific feeling, or an emotional experience. Understanding the type helps you know if the emotion is a passing mood, a personality quality, or something else.
Definition Here you find a clear and simple explanation of each emotion. The definitions are easy to understand, so you quickly grasp what the emotion means and how it feels.
Example Usage This section shows a short, everyday sentence illustrating how the emotion might be used. It helps put the emotion into context, making it easier to relate to and recognize in real life.
Descripción This part provides a more detailed description, adding depth and nuance to each emotion. It explains the emotional experience further, highlighting why it matters and how it connects to human feelings and behavior.
Emotions that start with C
Emotions | Type | Definition | Example Usage |
---|---|---|---|
Caged | Emotional State | Feeling confined, trapped, or restricted, often leading to frustration or helplessness. | After being stuck indoors for weeks, she felt truly caged and yearned for freedom. |
Calm | Emotional State | A state of peace, tranquility, and absence of strong emotions or agitation. | Despite the chaos around her, she remained perfectly calm, a testament to her resilience. |
Cantankerous | Emotional Trait | Bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative. | His cantankerous mood made it difficult for anyone to approach him without risking an argument. |
Captivated | Emotional State | Strongly attracted and held by something’s charm, beauty, or interest; fascinated. | The audience was completely captivated by the speaker’s powerful storytelling. |
Carefree | Emotional State | Free from anxiety or responsibility; lighthearted and untroubled. | On vacation, she felt completely carefree, leaving all her worries behind. |
Caring | Emotional Trait | Displaying kindness, concern, and empathy for others. | Her caring nature made her a beloved nurse, always attentive to her patients’ needs. |
Cathartic | Emotional Experience | Providing psychological relief through the open expression of strong emotions. | Screaming into the pillow felt incredibly cathartic after weeks of suppressed frustration. |
Chagrined | Emotional State | Feeling annoyed, embarrassed, or humiliated at having failed or been let down. | He was deeply chagrined by his poor performance in the competition. |
Challenged | Emotional State | Feeling stimulated or inspired to overcome a difficulty; also, feeling confronted or provoked. | She felt challenged by the complex puzzle, eager to find the solution. |
Charmed | Emotional State | Delighted and pleased by someone or something; enchanted. | She was completely charmed by the puppy’s playful antics. |
Cheated | Emotional State | Feeling wronged or unfairly deprived, often due to deception or dishonest actions. | He felt cheated out of his rightful inheritance by his scheming relatives. |
Cheerful | Emotional State | Noticeably happy and optimistic. | Despite the cloudy weather, her cheerful disposition brightened everyone’s day. |
Cheerless | Emotional State | Gloomy, dismal, or sad; lacking cheer. | The cheerless atmosphere of the old house matched his somber mood. |
Cherished | Emotional State | Held dear; treated with great affection and care. | She felt truly cherished by her family, knowing they loved and supported her unconditionally. |
Chipper | Emotional State | Cheerful and lively. | Despite the early hour, he was remarkably chipper and ready for the day. |
Choleric | Emotional Trait | Bad-tempered or irritable. | His choleric outbursts made colleagues wary of approaching him with bad news. |
Chosen | Emotional State | Feeling specially selected or favored for a purpose or role. | She felt chosen for the leadership role, recognizing the trust placed in her. |
Claustrophobic | Fear | Suffering from claustrophobia; an extreme or irrational fear of confined places. | He felt intensely claustrophobic in the crowded elevator. |
Close | Emotional State | Feeling a strong bond of affection, intimacy, or familiarity with someone. | They shared a very close bond, confiding everything in each other. |
Clouded | Emotional State | Having one’s mind or judgment obscured by emotions, confusion, or substances. | Her judgment was clouded by anger, leading her to make rash decisions. |
Clueless | Emotional State | Lacking awareness, understanding, or knowledge of something; ignorant. | He felt completely clueless about how to fix the broken machine. |
Clumsy | Feeling/Self-perception | Awkward in movement or handling things, often leading to a feeling of self-consciousness or embarrassment. | She felt clumsy and awkward whenever she tried to dance in public. |
Cocky | Emotional Trait | Conceited or overconfident, especially in a bold or arrogant way. | His cocky attitude after winning the first round quickly evaporated when he lost the final. |
Coerced | Emotional State | Feeling compelled to do something by force or threats. | She felt coerced into signing the contract, despite her reservations. |
Collected | Emotional State | Calm, composed, and in control of one’s emotions. | Despite the difficult questions, the politician remained perfectly collected throughout the interview. |
Combative | Emotional Trait | Ready or eager to fight or argue; aggressive. | His combative responses to criticism made constructive dialogue impossible. |
Comfortable | Emotional State | Feeling at ease, relaxed, and free from stress or discomfort. | She felt comfortable enough with her new colleagues to share personal stories. |
Comforted | Emotional State | Having one’s distress or grief eased or alleviated. | She felt comforted by her friend’s presence after receiving the bad news. |
Compassion | Emotion | Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. | Her deep compassion for the refugees moved her to volunteer at the aid center. |
Compassionate | Emotional Trait | Feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others. | The compassionate doctor patiently explained the diagnosis to the worried family. |
Competitive | Emotional Trait | Characterized by rivalry; eager to win or be more successful than others. | His competitive spirit drove him to train harder and aim for first place. |
Complacent | Emotional State | Feeling smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements. | After early success, the team grew complacent and lost their edge. |
Complete | Emotional State | Feeling whole, fulfilled, or lacking nothing; achieving a state of perfection. | She felt truly complete after achieving her lifelong dream. |
Composed | Emotional State | Having one’s feelings and expression under control; calm and serene. | Despite the unexpected interruption, she remained perfectly composed. |
Concern | Emotion | A feeling of worry, anxiety, or solicitous regard for someone or something. | Her concern for her friend’s well-being was evident in her constant calls. |
Concerned | Emotional State | Feeling worried, anxious, or solicitous. | He felt deeply concerned about the future of the planet. |
Condemned | Emotional State | Feeling sentenced or judged to be wrong or deserving of punishment. | He felt utterly condemned by society after the false accusations. |
Condescending | Emotional Trait | Having or showing a feeling of patronizing superiority. | His condescending tone made her feel small and disrespected. |
Confident | Emotional State | Feeling self-assured in one’s abilities, qualities, or judgment. | She felt confident she would pass the exam after months of studying. |
Confined | Emotional State | Feeling restricted or limited in movement, space, or freedom. | He felt confined by the small apartment during the lockdown. |
Conflicted | Emotional State | Having contradictory feelings or impulses; torn. | She felt conflicted about leaving her job, weighing the pros and cons. |
Confounded | Emotional State | Feeling bewildered or confused; utterly perplexed. | He was utterly confounded by the unexpected turn of events. |
Confused | Emotional State | Unable to think clearly; bewildered or perplexed. | She felt confused by the complex instructions. |
Confusion | Emotion | A state of being bewildered or unclear in one’s mind about something. | There was widespread confusion about the new rules. |
Connected | Emotional State | Feeling a strong bond, relationship, or sense of belonging with others or a greater whole. | She felt deeply connected to her community through her volunteer work. |
Consolation | Emotion | The comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment. | His kind words were a great consolation during her time of grief. |
Consternation | Emotion | Feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected. | To her consternation, the car wouldn’t start just as she was leaving for work. |
Constricted | Emotional State | Feeling tightened, limited, or constrained, often emotionally or physically. | She felt constricted by the strict rules, unable to express herself freely. |
Contempt | Emotion | The feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn. | He regarded his former friend with utter contempt after the betrayal. |
Contemptuous | Emotional Trait | Showing contempt; scornful. | His contemptuous sneer showed how little he thought of their efforts. |
Content | Emotional State | In a state of peaceful happiness. | She felt perfectly content with her simple life in the countryside. |
Contented | Emotional State | Satisfied and at ease with one’s situation or state of mind. | The cat purred, a picture of contented relaxation on the windowsill. |
Contentment | Emotion | A state of happiness and satisfaction. | A deep sense of contentment washed over her as she watched the sunset. |
Contrite | Emotional State | Feeling or expressing remorse or penitence; affected by guilt. | He offered a contrite apology, showing genuine regret for his actions. |
Controlled | Emotional State | Having one’s emotions or actions restrained or managed; also, feeling subject to external restraint. | He maintained a controlled demeanor, even under intense scrutiny. |
Cornered | Emotional State | Feeling trapped in a difficult or inescapable situation. | The suspect felt cornered by the police, with no escape route. |
Courageous | Emotional Trait | Not deterred by danger or pain; brave. | The courageous firefighter rushed into the burning building to save lives. |
Covetous | Emotional Trait | Having or showing a great desire to possess something, typically belonging to someone else. | His covetous gaze lingered on his neighbor’s new sports car. |
Cowardly | Emotional Trait | Lacking courage. | His cowardly refusal to confront the bully only emboldened them. |
Cranky | Emotional State | Easily annoyed or irritable; ill-tempered. | She was feeling particularly cranky after a sleepless night. |
Craving | Emotion | A powerful desire for something. | She had a strong craving for chocolate after a stressful day. |
Crazy | Emotional State | Feeling extremely enthusiastic, excited, or distraught; mentally deranged (informal usage for extreme emotional states). | He was crazy with excitement when he heard the good news. |
Creative | Emotional State/Trait | Feeling or displaying imagination and original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work. | She felt incredibly creative after visiting the art gallery, eager to start painting. |
Crestfallen | Emotional State | Sad and disappointed. | The team was crestfallen after losing the championship game. |
Critical | Emotional Trait | Expressing adverse or disapproving comments or judgments; also, involving careful judgment. | She was very critical of his performance, pointing out every flaw. |
Cross | Emotional State | Annoyed or angry. | He was quite cross with himself for making such a silly mistake. |
Crotchety | Emotional Trait | Ill-tempered; grumpy. | The old man was known for his crotchety disposition, always complaining. |
Crushed | Emotional State | Feeling overwhelmingly disappointed, devastated, or heartbroken. | She was utterly crushed when her best friend moved away unexpectedly. |
Curiosity | Emotion | A strong desire to know or learn something. | His natural curiosity led him to explore every corner of the old library. |
Curious | Emotional State | Eager to know or learn something. | She was curious about the strange noise coming from the attic. |
Cursed | Emotional State | Feeling as if under a supernatural spell bringing misfortune; or subject to bad luck. | After a series of misfortunes, he felt cursed and believed nothing would go right. |
Cynical | Emotional Trait | Believing that people are motivated by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity. | His cynical view of politics made him doubt every politician’s promises. |