From Stella, your emotional wellness AI

Feelings wheel: find the word for it

Find the exact word, finish the sentence, print the wheel.

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Start with the closest one

Choose a feeling above. Once you finish the sentence, it shows up here as a card you can keep.

Download the printable wheel (PDF)

How to use a feelings wheel

A feelings wheel puts broad feelings in the middle and more exact words toward the edge. “Bad” and “fine” cover a lot of ground, and the wheel gets you from there to the word you mean: start with whatever is closest and move outward until a word fits. Use it here, or download the printable PDF.

Start in the middle
On this feelings wheel, start with the big feeling that's closest, even if it's only roughly right. There are nine, from glad and calm to drained and unsettled.
Move outward until a word fits
Each step outward shows three closer words, each with a one-line meaning. You can stop at any ring, or check two nearby words before you settle on one.
Finish the sentence
The wheel ends with a sentence: once a word fits, add why you feel it and what you need right now. You come away with one sentence you could say to someone, or keep for yourself.

Printable feelings wheel PDF

This feelings wheel PDF has three pages. Page one is the wheel in color. Page two is the same wheel in black and white, for any printer, with the sentence to finish underneath. Page three lists all 117 words with what each one means. You're welcome to print and share it, as long as this page link stays on it.

Start in the middle with the closest big feeling. Move outward until a word fits.On a small screen, every word is easier to read in the feelings list below.Feelings wheel PDF

Examples: from a big feeling to a sentence

Example written for this page

Depleted after a long week of caring for a parent

Path

Drained › Tired › depleted

Depleted: you've given more than you've had time to refill.

My sentence

I feel depleted because I've been at my mom's every evening this week and there's nothing left for me. What I need right now is some rest.

Example written for this page

Torn about a friend's wedding

Path

Unsettled › Confused › torn

Torn: part of you wants one thing and part wants another.

My sentence

I feel torn because I want to be there for her, and being around her family is hard for me. What I need right now is to say it.

Example written for this page

Capable after a hard conversation went well

Path

Glad › Proud › capable

Capable: you have what it takes to handle this.

My sentence

I feel capable because I told my manager the deadline wasn't realistic, and it went fine. What I need right now is to remember this next time.

Good feelings are on the wheel too. Naming them helps them stick.

Feelings list: 117 words and what they mean

This feelings list has 117 words: nine big feelings, three closer words for each, and three exact words for each of those. Every word has one plain line on what it can feel like.

Glad

GladSomething is going right, and you can feel it.Hopeful, Proud, Playful

Hopeful

You can picture things getting better from here.

eager: You want the next thing to start already.
encouraged: Something gave you a reason to keep going.
optimistic: You expect it to work out, more or less.

Proud

You did something that matters to you.

accomplished: You finished something that took real effort.
confident: You trust yourself with what comes next.
capable: You have what it takes to handle this.

Playful

Light enough to joke around and have some fun.

amused: Something struck you as funny.
lighthearted: Not much is weighing on you right now.
silly: You want to be a bit ridiculous, and that's fine.

Calm

CalmNothing is pulling at you very hard right now.Content, Relieved, Steady

Content

What you have right now feels like enough.

satisfied: Something turned out the way you hoped.
comfortable: At home where you are and with who you're with.
at ease: Relaxed, with nothing you need to guard against.

Relieved

A worry you were carrying has eased or ended.

lighter: Some weight came off, and you notice the difference.
reassured: Someone or something told you it would be okay.
unburdened: You put down something you'd held for a long time.

Steady

You feel solid, even if things around you aren't.

grounded: Here and present, not swept along by everything.
patient: You can wait for it without it eating at you.
centered: You know what matters to you right now.

Close

CloseConnected to someone, or to something bigger than you.Loved, Grateful, Understood

Loved

You feel cared about, just as you are.

cherished: Someone treats you as precious to them.
wanted: Someone is glad you're there and shows it.
accepted: You don't have to change to belong here.

Grateful

You're aware of something good you were given.

thankful: You want to say thank you to someone.
moved: Something touched you more than you expected.
appreciative: You notice the good in someone and value it.

Understood

Someone gets what you mean without a fight.

seen: Someone noticed what you're going through.
heard: Someone listened all the way to the end.
connected: You feel part of something with someone else.

Sad

SadSomething hurts, or something you wanted isn't there.Lonely, Disappointed, Grieving

Lonely

You want closeness, and it isn't there right now.

isolated: Cut off from people, by choice or not.
left out: Others are together, and you weren't included.
homesick: You miss a place, a time or the people there.

Disappointed

Something you hoped for didn't happen.

let down: Someone didn't come through the way you counted on.
deflated: The air went out of something you were excited about.
discouraged: It's getting harder to believe that trying will help.

Grieving

You're missing someone or something that's gone.

heartbroken: A loss that hurts so much you can feel it.
longing: You ache for someone or something you can't have back.
bereft: Left without someone or something you leaned on.

Angry

AngrySomething crossed a line, and you want it to stop.Frustrated, Irritated, Resentful

Frustrated

You keep trying, and something keeps getting in the way.

blocked: Something stands between you and what you need to do.
thwarted: Your plan was going somewhere until something stopped it.
fed up: You've had enough of this and want it to change.

Irritated

Small things are getting under your skin.

annoyed: Something is bugging you, and it won't stop.
on edge: Close to snapping, even at small things.
touchy: Things land harder than usual, and you react fast.

Resentful

An old unfairness is still with you.

bitter: Hurt that has hardened over time.
jealous: Afraid of losing what's yours, or wanting what's theirs.
wronged: You were treated unfairly, and it hasn't been made right.

Afraid

AfraidPart of you is braced for something to go wrong.Worried, Overwhelmed, Helpless

Worried

Your mind keeps going to what could go wrong.

uneasy: Something feels off, even if you can't say what.
nervous: Jittery about something coming up.
dreading: Something ahead feels heavy before it even starts.

Overwhelmed

More coming at you than you can sort right now.

swamped: Too much to do and not enough time or hands.
frazzled: Pulled in so many directions you're starting to fray.
scattered: Your attention is in pieces and won't settle.

Helpless

You can't see what you could do to change it.

powerless: What happens next feels out of your hands.
trapped (see the note below): Every way out that you can see feels closed.
hopeless (see the note below): It's hard to picture things getting any better.

Ashamed

AshamedYou feel exposed, or smaller than you want to be.Embarrassed, Guilty, Inadequate

Embarrassed

You wish you could take back how that looked.

awkward: Unsure how to act, and very aware of it.
self-conscious: You feel watched and judged, even if no one is.
humiliated: Shown up or put down in front of others.

Guilty

You believe you did something wrong, and it sits with you.

regretful: You wish you had chosen differently.
sorry: You want to make up for something you did.
remorseful: You feel the harm you caused, and it weighs on you.

Inadequate

Like you're not enough for what's being asked of you.

behind: Everyone else seems further along than you are.
small: Like you count for less than the people around you.
worthless (see the note below): You can't see what you're worth right now.

Drained

DrainedYour energy is low, and everything costs more than usual.Tired, Numb, Stuck

Tired

You need rest, and you're running on what's left.

exhausted: Nothing left in the tank, body or mind.
depleted: You've given more than you've had time to refill.
worn down: Ground down by something that hasn't let up.

Numb

You can't feel much of anything right now.

flat: Nothing feels good or bad, just the same.
detached: Like you're watching your life from a step away.
empty (see the note below): Hollow inside, as if something is missing.

Stuck

You want to move, and you can't find the way.

aimless: No clear direction, and nothing pulling you forward.
unmotivated: You know what to do and can't make yourself start.
bored: Nothing in front of you holds your interest.

Unsettled

UnsettledSomething shifted, and you haven't found your footing yet.Confused, Surprised, Restless

Confused

You can't make sense of it yet.

torn: Part of you wants one thing and part wants another.
uncertain: You don't know what's true or what to do.
mixed up: Your thoughts and feelings are tangled together.

Surprised

Something happened that you didn't see coming.

shocked: Hit hard by something sudden and unexpected.
startled: You jumped for a second at something you didn't expect.
caught off guard: It happened before you had a chance to get ready.

Restless

You can't settle, in your body or your head.

fidgety: You can't keep still, even when you try.
impatient: You want it to happen now, not later.
keyed up: Wound tight, with energy that has nowhere to go.

* If it's felt like this for a while, you don't have to sort it out alone. In the US you can call or text 988, any time.

When talking it through helps

Finding the word for a feeling is a start, but a word can't tell you why the feeling showed up today or what to do with it. Saying it to someone is different from tapping it on a screen.

Stella is your emotional wellness AI, and you can text her the word you found on the feelings wheel and what's behind it. What you do with it is still up to you.

Questions about the feelings wheel

What is a feelings wheel?

A feelings wheel is a circle of feeling words arranged in rings, with broad feelings in the middle and more exact words toward the edge. You start with the closest broad feeling and move outward until a word fits. This one has 117 words, each with a plain meaning, and ends with a sentence you finish.

Is there a printable feelings wheel PDF?

This feelings wheel downloads as a three-page PDF: the wheel in color, the wheel in black and white for any printer, and every word with its meaning. You're welcome to print it and share it, as long as the page link stays on it.

Is a feelings wheel the same as an emotion wheel?

A feelings wheel and an emotion wheel are the same kind of chart under two names: a circle of feeling words, broad in the middle and more exact toward the edge. Versions differ in how many words they use and how they group them. This one has nine broad feelings and 117 words, and the PDF prints all of them.

Why does it end in a sentence?

The feelings wheel ends in a sentence because naming the feeling is half of it. Adding because, and what you need right now, turns a word into something you can say to someone, or to yourself. You can copy or print the sentence. If finding the word is enough for today, stop there.

How is this wheel different from other feelings wheels?

This feelings wheel uses our own words, meanings and layout. It has nine broad feelings, including drained and unsettled, and 117 words in all. Every word has a one-line meaning, and two nearby words are shown with it, so you can check whether a closer word fits before you settle on one.

Feelings wheel: find the word for it

How to use a feelings wheel

Start in the middle

Move outward until a word fits

Finish the sentence

Printable feelings wheel PDF

Examples: from a big feeling to a sentence

Depleted after a long week of caring for a parent

Path

My sentence

Torn about a friend's wedding

Path

My sentence

Capable after a hard conversation went well

Path

My sentence

Feelings list: 117 words and what they mean

Glad

Calm

Close

Sad

Angry

Afraid

Ashamed

Drained

Unsettled

When talking it through helps

Questions about the feelings wheel

Unsent letter

Brain dump

Am I the problem?

A friend to figure it out with.

Feelings wheel: find the word for it

How to use a feelings wheel

Start in the middle

Move outward until a word fits

Finish the sentence

Printable feelings wheel PDF

Examples: from a big feeling to a sentence

Depleted after a long week of caring for a parent

Path

My sentence

Torn about a friend's wedding

Path

My sentence

Capable after a hard conversation went well

Path

My sentence

Feelings list: 117 words and what they mean

Glad

Calm

Close

Sad

Angry

Afraid

Ashamed

Drained

Unsettled

When talking it through helps

Questions about the feelings wheel

Related tools

Unsent letter

Brain dump

Am I the problem?

Related reading

A friend to figure it out with.