C2 · 50 words
Compound feelings in Spanish
Words for states made of several feelings at once — wistfulness, quiet satisfaction, unease.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list
The feelings with simple names — joy, fear, anger — were learned at A2. What is missing at this level are the compound ones: el recuerdo agridulceis pleasure in something that hurtsla inquietud sin objetois unease with no causela desazónis the sense that something is wrong without being able to say what The word to carry away is la decepción, in la decepción contenida. It looks like « deception » and is not: la decepción is disappointment, what somebody feels when they have been let down, while « deception » is the act of misleading, which in Spanish is el engaño. This list sets the trap out in the open by putting el desengaño a line above — literally the un-deceiving, what is left once the engaño has gone.
The words
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Phrase (30)
el recuerdo agridulcethe bittersweet memoryPhraseC2
El recuerdo agridulce mezcla el gusto con la pérdida.The bittersweet memory mixes the pleasure with the loss.
la falta que hace alguienthe gap somebody leavesPhraseC2
La falta que hace alguien se nota en lo cotidiano.The gap somebody leaves shows in the everyday things.
la pérdida del lugar propiothe loss of one's own placePhraseC2
La pérdida del lugar propio no se cura volviendo.The loss of one's own place is not cured by going back.
la inquietud sin objetothe unease with no objectPhraseC2
Una inquietud sin objeto le acompañó toda la tarde.An unease with no object stayed with them all afternoon.
la decepción contenidathe contained disappointmentPhraseC2
Su decepción contenida se notó en el saludo.Their contained disappointment showed in the greeting.
el agravio guardadothe stored-up grievancePhraseC2
El agravio guardado se alimenta de recordarlo bien.The stored-up grievance feeds on being remembered accurately.
el rencor sordothe quiet resentmentPhraseC2
Guardó un rencor sordo durante años.They kept a quiet resentment for years.
la admiración con un punto de envidiathe admiration with a touch of envyPhraseC2
Lo dijo con admiración y un punto de envidia, y era verdad.They said it with admiration and a touch of envy, and it was true.
la envidia cochinathe mean-spirited envyPhraseC2
Detrás del comentario había envidia cochina.Behind the remark there was mean-spirited envy.
el sonrojo por otrothe blush on somebody else's behalfPhraseC2
El sonrojo por otro le hizo mirar al suelo.The blush on somebody else's behalf made them look at the floor.
la situación embarazosathe embarrassing situationPhraseC2
Pasó la situación embarazosa de que le corrigieran en público.They went through the embarrassing situation of being corrected in public.
la desconfianza precavidathe guarded mistrustPhraseC2
Aceptó con desconfianza precavida y siguió comprobando.They accepted with guarded mistrust and went on checking.
la resignación serenathe calm resignationPhraseC2
Habló con una resignación serena que desarmaba.They spoke with a calm resignation that disarmed everyone.
la conformidad a regañadientesthe grudging agreementPhraseC2
Dio su conformidad a regañadientes.They gave their grudging agreement.
el alivio con culpathe guilty reliefPhraseC2
Sintió un alivio con culpa que no confesó a nadie.They felt a guilty relief they confessed to nobody.
la satisfacción calladathe quiet satisfactionPhraseC2
Se permitió una satisfacción callada y siguió trabajando.They allowed themselves a quiet satisfaction and went on working.
el orgullo heridothe wounded pridePhraseC2
El orgullo herido explica más decisiones de las que se admite.Wounded pride explains more decisions than anybody admits.
el desprecio disimuladothe concealed contemptPhraseC2
Se percibía un desprecio disimulado en cada respuesta.A concealed contempt could be felt in every answer.
la indiferencia estudiadathe studied indifferencePhraseC2
Su indiferencia estudiada costaba mucho esfuerzo.Their studied indifference cost a great deal of effort.
el desvelo por alguienthe sleepless care for somebodyPhraseC2
Su desvelo por los suyos no admitía descanso.Their sleepless care for their own people allowed no rest.
la culpa difusathe vague guiltPhraseC2
Cargó con una culpa difusa que nadie le había puesto.They carried a vague guilt that nobody had put on them.
el peso en la concienciathe weight on the consciencePhraseC2
El peso en la conciencia apareció al día siguiente.The weight on the conscience turned up the next day.
el arrepentimiento tardíothe late regretPhraseC2
El arrepentimiento tardío no repara casi nada.Late regret repairs almost nothing.
la lástima con distanciathe pity kept at a distancePhraseC2
Le trataron con una lástima con distancia que ofendía más que el desprecio.They were treated with a pity kept at a distance that offended more than contempt.
la compasión activathe compassion that actsPhraseC2
La compasión activa se distingue por lo que hace después.Compassion that acts is told apart by what it does afterwards.
la empatía sin acuerdothe empathy without agreementPhraseC2
La empatía sin acuerdo es lo más difícil de sostener.Empathy without agreement is the hardest thing to keep up.
la gratitud incómodathe uncomfortable gratitudePhraseC2
La gratitud incómoda pesa cuando no se puede devolver.Uncomfortable gratitude weighs when it cannot be repaid.
la esperanza cautelosathe cautious hopePhraseC2
Se permitió una esperanza cautelosa y nada más.They allowed themselves a cautious hope and nothing more.
el ánimo divididothe divided moodPhraseC2
El ánimo dividido no es indecisión: son dos cosas verdaderas a la vez.A divided mood is not indecision: it is two true things at once.
el sentimiento encontradothe mixed feelingPhraseC2
Se despidió con un sentimiento encontrado.They said goodbye with a mixed feeling.
Noun (f) (7)
la desazónthe dull discomfortNoun (f)C2
Le quedó una desazón que no sabía nombrar.They were left with a dull discomfort they could not name.
la zozobrathe anxious uncertaintyNoun (f)C2
Vivieron en la zozobra hasta que llegó la noticia.They lived in anxious uncertainty until the news came.
la congojathe tightness of distressNoun (f)C2
La congoja le cerró la garganta a mitad de la frase.The tightness of distress closed their throat halfway through the sentence.
la perplejidadthe bafflementNoun (f)C2
La perplejidad duró hasta que alguien explicó el motivo.The bafflement lasted until somebody explained the reason.
la suspicaciathe suspicious cast of mindNoun (f)C2
Su suspicacia convierte cualquier retraso en una señal.Their suspicious cast of mind turns any delay into a sign.
la aprensiónthe uneasy forebodingNoun (f)C2
Entró con aprensión, sin saber qué esperaba.They went in with uneasy foreboding, not knowing what they expected.
la humillaciónthe humiliationNoun (f)C2
La humillación no se olvida por mucho que se perdone.Humiliation is not forgotten however much it is forgiven.
Noun (m) (13)
el sobrecogimientothe awed shiverNoun (m)C2
El sobrecogimiento ante el paisaje duró un instante.The awed shiver at the landscape lasted an instant.
el estuporthe stunned stillnessNoun (m)C2
La noticia produjo estupor y ni una sola pregunta.The news produced stunned stillness and not a single question.
el desengañothe disenchantmentNoun (m)C2
El desengaño no vino del hecho sino de quién lo hizo.The disenchantment came not from the deed but from who had done it.
el despechothe spite of the woundedNoun (m)C2
Actuó por despecho y luego no supo explicarlo.They acted out of the spite of the wounded and afterwards could not explain it.
el pudorthe reserve about giving oneself awayNoun (m)C2
Contó lo justo, con el pudor de quien no se acostumbra.They told just enough, with the reserve of somebody not used to it.
el reparothe reluctance to do itNoun (m)C2
No tuvo reparo en preguntarlo delante de todos.They had no reluctance about asking it in front of everybody.
el desalientothe loss of heartNoun (m)C2
El desaliento llegó al tercer intento fallido.The loss of heart came at the third failed attempt.
el abatimientothe dejectionNoun (m)C2
El abatimiento se le pasó en cuanto tuvo algo que hacer.The dejection lifted as soon as they had something to do.
el hastíothe weariness with it allNoun (m)C2
El hastío llega antes que el cansancio.The weariness with it all arrives before the tiredness.
el tediothe heavy boredomNoun (m)C2
El tedio de la espera pesaba más que el propio viaje.The heavy boredom of the wait weighed more than the journey itself.
el desapegothe inward detachmentNoun (m)C2
Habla de su antigua empresa con desapego.They speak of their old firm with inward detachment.
el enternecimientothe softening of the heartNoun (m)C2
Sintió un enternecimiento repentino al ver la letra antigua.They felt a sudden softening of the heart on seeing the old handwriting.
el arrobothe rapt absorptionNoun (m)C2
Escuchó con arrobo hasta la última nota.They listened with rapt absorption to the last note.
This list belongs to People and feelings — 13 lists and 640 words that can also be practised as a whole.