feelings

The word "feelings" is similar to "emotions." We use this word when one person makes another person sad, or when someone has an emotional attachment to someone or something.

• He still has strong feelings for her. (He still loves her.)
• She no longer has any feelings for him. (She doesn’t love him anymore.)
• Tony got his feelings hurt when a coworker said something negative about his hair.
• Jose hurt Bianca’s feelings when he said her cookies were mushy.
• I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.

If you take the "s" off of "feeling," then the word changes completely. In this case, "feeling" might be a physical response….

• You won’t have any feeling around that tooth when the dentist gives you the novocain.
• Vince doesn’t have any feeling in his legs. He’s paralyzed from the waist down.

….or you can use the word "feeling" for an idea:

• I have a feeling this is going to be a great success.
• What are your feelings about taking a trip to Panama this summer? (In this example, it’s okay to add the "s.")

Note: In all of these examples, "feeling" or "feelings" is a noun. This is different from the use of "feel" in a continuous tense: How are you feeling? In this question, "feel" is a verb.

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First published on November 3, 2011

Updated on December 15, 2018