English phrasal verbs for emotions: A complete guide

Mastering phrasal verbs for emotions is a turning point for any English learner. While basic adjectives like “sad” or “angry” get the point across, phrasal verbs add flavor, intensity, and nuance to your conversations.

In linguistic terms, we often use motion verbs to describe feelings. This is part of the conceptual metaphor theory, where we visualize abstract emotions as physical movements—like “falling” into love or “spiraling” into a bad mood.

Quick reference: Common phrasal verbs for feelings

If you are looking for a specific emotion, use this table to find the right phrasal verb and its general meaning.

Detailed list of phrasal verbs for expressing emotions

💡 Pro tip for faster learning: Memorizing lists is hard. We recommend the English Phrasal Verbs in Use (Advanced) workbook. It uses real-world contexts and exercises that help these expressions stick in your long-term memory.

Phrasal verbs for anger and frustration

• Blow up: To explode with anger or lose your temper.
  • Example: “I’m sorry I blew up at you; I’ve had a very stressful day.”
  • Note: As a noun, a “blowup” refers to a major argument.
• Lash out at: To suddenly attack someone physically or verbally, often due to pent-up stress.
  • Example: “She lashed out at the waiter for a minor mistake because she was already frustrated.”
• Stir up: To provoke or arouse strong, often negative, feelings.
  • Example: “He loves to stir up trouble by bringing up politics at dinner.”
• Take out on: To treat someone badly because you are upset about something else.
  • Example: “Don’t take your anger out on me just because you had a bad day at work.”
• Tell off: To scold or reprimand someone severely.
  • Example: “The teacher told him off for being late for the fifth time.”

Phrasal verbs for sadness and disappointment

• Burst into: To suddenly start doing something, most commonly “burst into tears.”
  • Example: “She burst into tears as soon as she heard the news.”
• Choke back: To struggle to suppress a strong emotion, like crying or anger.
  • Example: “He tried to choke back his tears during the funeral service.”
• Let down: To disappoint someone by failing to do what was expected.
  • Example: “I really needed his help, but he let me down again.”
• Tear up: To have tears start to form in your eyes (not yet full crying).
  • Example: “I always tear up during the ending of that movie.”
• Weigh down / Get down: To make someone feel depressed, burdened, or heavy with worry.
  • Example: “All this extra responsibility is really weighing me down.”

Phrasal verbs for happiness and relaxation

• Calm down: To stop feeling angry, upset, or overly excited.
  • Example: “You need to calm down before you make a decision you’ll regret.”
• Cheer up: To become happier or to make someone else feel better.
  • Example: “Here, I brought you some chocolate to cheer you up.”
• Lighten up / Loosen up: To become less serious or more relaxed.
  • Example: “You’re being too stiff! Lighten up and enjoy the party.”
• Light up / Lit up: To show sudden happiness, often visible on the face.
  • Example: “Her face lit up the moment she saw her grandkids.”

Phrasal verbs for intense or overwhelming reactions

• Bottle up: To keep emotions hidden inside for a long time instead of expressing them.
  • Example: “It isn’t healthy to bottle up your grief.”
• Choke up: To become so emotional (sad or happy) that it is difficult to speak.
  • Example: “The groom choked up while reading his wedding vows.”
• Crack up: To burst into uncontrollable laughter.
  • Example: “That comedian is hilarious; I crack up every time I see his show.”
• Crack under pressure: To lose emotional control because of a high-stress situation.
  • Example: “The witness cracked under pressure during the cross-examination.”
• Freak out: To react with extreme fear, anger, or excitement.
  • Example: “I totally freaked out when I thought I lost my passport.”

Frequently asked questions about emotional phrasal verbs

Continue your English journey

If you found this guide helpful, check out our other resources on mastering the English language:

• Why study Phrasal verbs?
• Phrasal verbs for everyday
• Phrasal verbs for relationships
• Common phrasal verbs for travel
• Phrasal verbs for mechanics

Master phrasal verbs with these tools

If you’re serious about reaching native-level fluency, these are the top-rated resources we recommend:

• Best for Practice: English Phrasal Verbs in Use by Michael McCarthy – Clear explanations and lots of practice questions.
• Best for Quick Reference: Barron’s Ultimate Phrasal Verb Book – Includes over 400 common verbs with meanings and examples.
• Best for Visual Learners: English for Everyone: English Idioms & Phrasal Verbs – Uses illustrations to help you “see” the motion metaphors.

Take our quiz!

Mastering phrasal verbs for emotions is a turning point for any English learner. While basic adjectives like “sad” or “angry” get the point across, phrasal verbs add flavor, intensity, and nuance to your conversations.

In linguistic terms, we often use motion verbs to describe feelings. This is part of the conceptual metaphor theory, where we visualize abstract emotions as physical movements—like “falling” into love or “spiraling” into a bad mood.

Quick reference: Common phrasal verbs for feelings

If you are looking for a specific emotion, use this table to find the right phrasal verb and its general meaning. This is a great way to quickly expand your emotional vocabulary.

Detailed list of phrasal verbs for expressing emotions

Phrasal verbs for anger and frustration

• Blow up: To explode with anger or lose your temper.
  • Example: “I’m sorry I blew up at you; I’ve had a very stressful day.”
• Lash out at: To suddenly attack someone physically or verbally, often due to pent-up stress.
  • Example: “She lashed out at the waiter for a minor mistake.”
• Take it out on: To treat someone badly because you are upset about something else.
  • Example: “Don’t take your anger out on me just because you are tired.”

Phrasal verbs for sadness and disappointment

• Burst into: To suddenly start doing something, most commonly “burst into tears.”
  • Example: “She burst into tears as soon as she heard the news.”
• Choke back: To struggle to suppress a strong emotion, like crying or anger.
  • Example: “He tried to choke back his tears during the speech.”
• Let down: To disappoint someone by failing to do what was expected.
  • Example: “I really needed his help, but he let me down again.”
• Tear up: To have tears start to form in your eyes.
  • Example: “I always tear up during the ending of that movie.”

Phrasal verbs for happiness and relaxation

• Calm down: To stop feeling angry, upset, or overly excited.
  • Example: “You need to calm down before you make a decision.”
• Cheer up: To become happier or to make someone else feel better.
  • Example: “Here, I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.”
• Lighten up: To become less serious or more relaxed.
  • Example: “Lighten up! It was only a joke.”

Frequently asked questions about emotional phrasal verbs

What is the difference between “tearing up” and “bursting into tears”?

“Tearing up” is the beginning stage where your eyes become wet with tears. “Bursting into tears” is a sudden, intense explosion of crying that happens all at once.

Are phrasal verbs for emotions formal or informal?

Most phrasal verbs are considered informal or semi-formal. In academic writing, you might use “suppress” instead of “bottle up,” but in daily conversation, phrasal verbs are the most natural choice for native speakers.

Why does English use motion verbs for feelings?

This is a conceptual metaphor. Humans often relate abstract internal feelings to physical movements. For example, when we are happy, we feel “up” (high spirits), and when we are sad, we feel “down” (depressed or weighed down).

Practice quiz: Test your knowledge

Ready to see how much you’ve learned? Try the practice exercises below!

Part 1: Multiple choice (10 questions)

1. If someone is suppressing their feelings, they are ______ them up. (a) Blowing (b) Bottling (c) Tearing (d) Lighting
2. When you suddenly start crying, you ______ into tears. (a) Grow (b) Fall (c) Burst (d) Stir
3. To scold someone angrily is to ______ them off. (a) Tell (b) Go (c) Let (d) Calm
4. If a movie makes you feel a little bit like crying, you start to ______. (a) Crack up (b) Freak out (c) Tear up (d) Goof off
5. “Don’t ______ your frustration out on me!” (a) Lash (b) Take (c) Stir (d) Grow
6. To become happier is to ______ up. (a) Cheer (b) Blow (c) Choke (d) Weigh
7. If you lose your temper suddenly, you ______ up. (a) Light (b) Calm (c) Blow (d) Let
8. To fail someone who was counting on you is to ______ them down. (a) Get (b) Weigh (c) Let (d) Calm
9. If you start laughing uncontrollably, you ______ up. (a) Crack (b) Choke (c) Bottle (d) Lash
10. To react with extreme panic or fear is to ______ out. (a) Go (b) Freak (c) Lash (d) Tell

Part 2: Fill in the blanks (10 questions)

(Answers: 1. down, 2. up, 3. out, 4. back, 5. up, 6. on, 7. up, 8. off, 9. up, 10. up)

1. Please calm ______ and listen to what I have to say.
2. He really choked ______ while giving the eulogy at the funeral.
3. She lashed ______ at the driver who cut her off in traffic.
4. I had to choke ______ my anger so I wouldn’t say something mean.
5. That song always cheers me ______ when I’m feeling sad.
6. The new kitten is really starting to grow ______ me.
7. Her face lit ______ when she saw the surprise party.
8. Don’t goof ______; we have a lot of work to finish!
9. The stress of the move is really starting to weigh ______ on her.
10. He was so funny that the whole class cracked ______.

Videos to help you learn

Check out these videos to help you learn and master phrasal verbs.

Conclusion: Bringing your emotions to life

Mastering these phrasal verbs does more than just expand your vocabulary; it allows you to express the “how” and “why” behind your feelings with the precision of a native speaker. By moving beyond simple adjectives and embracing these motion-based expressions, you make your English sound more natural, empathetic, and dynamic.

Remember that language learning is a marathon, not a sprint. You don’t need to use all 20 of these verbs today. Start by picking two or three that resonate with your current life—perhaps you need to calm down after a long commute or you want to cheer up a friend—and practice them until they become second nature.

Share your thoughts: Which phrasal verb describes you today?

We want to hear from you! Using the list above, can you describe a time you cracked up at a joke or teared up during a movie? Or, is there an emotional phrasal verb we missed that you find confusing?

Drop a comment below with your own example sentence. Not only does this help you practice, but our community of learners can also benefit from seeing these verbs used in new, real-world contexts. We read every comment and are happy to provide feedback on your sentences!