This list includes 20 Emotions that start with M, from “malice” to “movedness”. They are mostly single-word feelings and mood labels, spanning negative, positive, and neutral states. You can use them for writing, teaching, vocabulary building, and exploring emotional expression.
Emotions that start with M are specific feeling words that capture moods, attitudes, and brief reactions. A notable example is “malice,” which appears often in literature and legal language as an influential emotional motive.
Below you’ll find the table with Term, Type, Definition, and Example sentence.
Term: The emotion word itself, so you can scan names quickly and pick words for writing or study.
Type: Shows whether the emotion is Positive, Negative, or Neutral, helping you choose tone for character or analysis.
Definition: A concise one-sentence meaning that explains the feeling so you understand how to use it.
Example sentence: A short sentence showing common usage, so you can see context and apply the word naturally.
Emotions that start with M
Name
Type
Intensity
Meaning
melancholy
Negative
Medium
gentle, pensive sadness
melancholia
Negative
High
deep, often clinical sadness
merriment
Positive
Medium
cheerful celebration or fun
mirth
Positive
Medium
amusement expressed as laughter
mirthfulness
Positive
Medium
state of being merry or amused
misery
Negative
High
intense unhappiness or suffering
mistrust
Negative
Medium
lack of trust or confidence
misgiving
Negative
Low
a feeling of doubt or unease
miff
Negative
Low
mild irritation or petty offense
moved
Positive
Medium
emotionally touched or stirred
mortification
Negative
High
extreme embarrassment or shame
mourning
Negative
High
grief after a loss
mournfulness
Negative
High
state of deep sorrow or lament
moroseness
Negative
Low
sullen gloominess or sulkiness
mania
Negative
High
extreme, often uncontrollable excitement or energy
mood
Neutral
Medium
temporary emotional state or atmosphere
moodiness
Negative
Low
frequent shifts or unpredictability of mood
malice
Negative
Medium
desire to harm or see others suffer
mellowness
Positive
Low
calm, relaxed pleasantness or softness
movedness
Positive
Medium
state of being emotionally moved
Descriptions
melancholy
A reflective sadness often with wistful thought. Example: “She felt a touch of melancholy after the party.” Common in literature and everyday speech.
melancholia
A deep, sometimes clinical form of sadness. Example: “He was diagnosed with melancholia.” More formal or historical; found in medical and literary sources.
merriment
Lighthearted joy, often social. Example: “The room was full of merriment.” Common term in writing about parties and festivals.
mirth
Joy that shows as laughter or glee. Example: “His joke brought great mirth.” Fairly common and slightly literary.
mirthfulness
A quality of being full of mirth. Example: “Her mirthfulness was contagious.” Moderately common, slightly formal.
misery
Strong, often prolonged sadness or distress. Example: “They lived in misery after the loss.” Very common and widely understood.
mistrust
A feeling of doubt about someone’s reliability. Example: “She felt mistrust toward his promises.” Common in psychology and everyday use.
misgiving
Uneasy concern about a future event. Example: “He had misgivings about the plan.” Common and used in both casual and formal contexts.
miff
A small sulk or slight annoyance. Example: “He left in a miff after the remark.” Informal and moderately common.
moved
Feeling emotionally affected by something touching. Example: “I was deeply moved by the speech.” Very common in everyday language.
mortification
Intense shame or humiliation often from social exposure. Example: “She felt mortification at the blunder.” Common in formal and conversational contexts.
mourning
The process or state of grieving a death or loss. Example: “The family is in mourning.” Very common and widely attested.
mournfulness
A lingering, sorrowful mood linked to loss. Example: “His voice held a mournfulness today.” Common in literary and everyday use.
moroseness
A gloomy, unsociable mood. Example: “Her moroseness lasted all week.” Commonly used to describe moods.
mania
A high-arousal state sometimes clinical in nature. Example: “The campaign led to moments of mania.” Recognized in psychiatry and common discourse.
mood
A prevailing emotional condition for a person or place. Example: “He’s in a good mood today.” Very common and broad term.
moodiness
Tendency to change moods easily. Example: “Her moodiness can be hard to predict.” Commonly used to describe temperamental shifts.
malice
Hostile intent or ill will toward others. Example: “He acted with malice.” Common in legal and everyday language.
mellowness
A mellow, easygoing emotional quality. Example: “The music gave the evening a mellowness.” Fairly common, often used in aesthetic contexts.
movedness
The quality of having been emotionally affected. Example: “Her movedness was clear after the film.” Less common than “moved” but attested in literature.
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