emotional
adjective
emo·tion·al
i-ˈmō-sh(ə-)nəl 
1
: of or relating to emotion
an emotional disorder
2
: dominated by or prone to emotion
an emotional person
3
: appealing to or arousing emotion
an emotional sermon
4
: markedly aroused or agitated in feeling or sensibilities
gets emotional at weddings
Examples of emotional in a Sentence
He's a very emotional person.
worship at revival meetings often takes a markedly emotional form
Recent Examples on the Web
Harvard Professor Carla Martin explains how cacao transformed from a sacred drink into a Valentine’s Day staple — and how history, marketing and chemistry helped give chocolate its emotional power.
—
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
The film’s emotional crescendo comes in a bedroom scene between Lilleaas and co-star Reinsve, who plays her sister Nora — a hug that wasn’t fully scripted.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
But expecting that dogs will fill the social and emotional gaps in our lives is actually an obstacle to dogs’ flourishing, and human flourishing as well.
—Margret Grebowicz, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
We were drawn to the emotional weight of estranged siblings and the idea of a curse that’s passed down, not just through folklore, but through family trauma.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for emotional
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Dana Taylor, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
The film’s emotional crescendo comes in a bedroom scene between Lilleaas and co-star Reinsve, who plays her sister Nora — a hug that wasn’t fully scripted.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
But expecting that dogs will fill the social and emotional gaps in our lives is actually an obstacle to dogs’ flourishing, and human flourishing as well.
—Margret Grebowicz, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026
We were drawn to the emotional weight of estranged siblings and the idea of a curse that’s passed down, not just through folklore, but through family trauma.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for emotional
Cite this Entry
“Emotional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emotional. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
emotional
adjective
emo·tion·al
i-ˈmō-shnəl
-shən-ᵊl
1
: of or relating to the emotions
an emotional upset
2
: likely to show or express emotion : easily moved
an emotional person
3
: causing one to feel emotion
an emotional speech
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
