About this dictionary

Why a free, body-aware reference for 402 emotions exists, and what it's trying to do differently.

The premise

Most people have a small working vocabulary for emotions. Five or six labels for the entire interior life. When the actual feeling does not match those labels, it gets called 'fine' or 'tired' or 'stressed' and the signal underneath gets buried.

This dictionary exists because naming a feeling accurately is often the first move that changes anything. Not as therapy. Not as self-help. As a reference: the way you'd reach for a dictionary if you wanted to know what a word actually meant.

Why the body

Emotions are not abstractions. They take up space. Loneliness sits in the chest. Anger lights up the face and arms. Shame collapses the shoulders. The body knows what something is before the mind has named it.

Every emotion in this dictionary includes a body map showing where it typically shows up. The data comes from somatic mapping research and from working with people on what their feelings actually feel like. Knowing the somatic signature of an emotion is often what makes it possible to catch the feeling earlier, before it has gathered momentum.

What's here, what's coming

The dictionary currently contains 402 emotions across 17 families. Every entry has structured data: definition, family, valence, arousal, intensity, body sensations, related emotions, and the opposite emotion where one exists.

68 entries currently have full long-form treatment: definition, body sensations explained in detail, what the feeling is often confused with, why it shows up, what helps, and common questions. The remaining entries are being written gradually. Priority goes to the most-searched emotions first.

How this is different

• Body firstEvery entry tells you where the feeling lives physically, not just what it means conceptually.
• Honest about overlapMost feelings get confused with similar feelings. Each entry names the most common confusions and explains what distinguishes one from another.
• No prescriptionsWhere 'what helps' is included, it's framed as 'practices many people find lower the volume', not as cures or steps.
• Not a substitute for helpIf a feeling persists, interferes with daily life, or includes thoughts of harm, the entry says so and points toward professional support.
• Cross-culturalThe dictionary includes untranslatable terms from other languages: Saudade, Hygge, Mono no aware, Hiraeth. These name feelings English does not have a single word for.

About the writing

The long-form entries are written to a specific brief: definition that captures the lived experience, body description that's specific not metaphorical, comparisons that resolve real confusion, practices that are honest about what they can and cannot do, and FAQ answers that match how people actually search.

Citations are included where research genuinely applies. They are not stretched. Where an entry references body-mapping research, it's referring to the work of Lauri Nummenmaa and colleagues. Where it references social pain, that's Naomi Eisenberger's work. Where it references shame and compassion, Brené Brown and Paul Gilbert. Each entry's sources are listed at the bottom of that entry.

Honest limits

This is not therapy. It is not a substitute for talking to a person. It cannot diagnose anything. The 'what helps' sections are starting points based on what tends to help most people, not personalised advice.

If a feeling has lasted for weeks, is interfering with sleep or work or relationships, or includes thoughts of harming yourself or others, please talk to a GP or mental health professional. UK Samaritans: 116 123. International Association for Suicide Prevention crisis lines: https://www.iasp.info/crisis-centres-helplines/.