C1 English Expressions: In this lesson, you will be learning Emotions English vocabulary to describe moods and emotions and I have ten to give you. People can be in good moods, they can be in bad moods, they can be moody because of the way they are—they’re up and down. Or they can have certain Monday blues or holiday blues, which are always a sign of somebody in a mood.
These C1 English expressions will help you to describe various moods. Express yourself is a must in everyday conversations. So if you are an English language learner, these 10 C1 English expressions will definitely help you express your feelings in English.
10 C1 English Expressions | Mood Expressions
- A buoyant mood.
- To lift the mood.
- Low spirits.
- To sink into despair.
- The sinking or a sinking feeling.
- To raise or boost morale.
- To weigh on your mind.
- To keep the spirits up.
- To get in the mood.
- To get something off your chest.
1. A Buoyant Mood
Meaning: to be cheerful, and feel good about ourselves
When we’re in a buoyant mood, it means we’re upbeat. We’re feeling good about ourselves, life, or our job, whatever it might be. Buoyant means something floats in the water. When we are in a buoyant mood, our spirits are kept up.
Example:
- He’s in a buoyant mood today because he got the salary increase.
2. To Lift the Mood
Meaning: to feel a little bit more cheerful
Lots of things can lift the mood. Good music, a funny joke, or a story can lift the mood. Just a simple act of somebody smiling can lift the mood.
Example:
- It is a proven fact that music lifts the mood of people.
3. (To be in)Low Spirits
Meaning: to feel a little bit down and unhappy
Low spirits are when we are feeling low. Our spirits are our inner feelings. When we have low spirits, we’re not feeling so good. [C1 English Expressions]
Example:
- My spirits are a little bit low today because I got some bad news about a sick granny.
4. To Sink into Despair
Meaning: to become depressed; feel helpless
This is a step further than just having low spirits. I really feel sorry for people who think they are sinking into despair. Usually, despair means when you have no hope or see no light at the end of the tunnel.
Example:
- I don’t see any opportunity or possibility of getting out of this problem. I’m really sinking into despair.
5. A Sinking Feeling
Meaning: a feeling that something is going to get worse
Example:
- I got that sinking feeling that I have to return to work in the coming day or two.
- Every Saturday I get that sinking feeling just before I click on the results.
Students Also Read: 25 Positive Words to Describe Someone: Personality Vocabulary
6. To Raise or Boost Morale
Meaning: to make someone feel more cheerful
The opposite of all these sinking feelings and depressing feelings is you need something to raise or boost morale. Morale is your inner feeling about how you feel about life and how you’re going to tackle things. When you raise or boost morale, you get a shot like one of these vaccinations—a booster, you feel really, really good.
Example:
- Little things help to boost our morale. Go to the gym and have a workout. It always works for me.
7. To Weigh on Your Mind
Meaning: to make you feel worried and anxious
It’s something that’s there constantly. You wake up in the morning, the problem is there. You go to lunch, the problem is still there. You come home in the evening, the problem is still there. It weighs on your mind and will continue to weigh on your mind until you do something to deal with it.
8. To Keep the Spirits Up
Meaning: to remain optimistic
When you keep the spirits up, you might be feeling a little depressed, but you keep the spirits up by trying to smile. Put on your happy face. Not let people see that you’re feeling a little bit down. People will often use the expression, “Oh, don’t worry about it, keep your spirits up, something will happen soon.” They say that because they mean it, and they also say it as a way to let you know that other people are there to support you.
Example: Don’t worry about it, keep your spirits up, something will happen soon.
9. To Get in the Mood
Meaning: to feel a desire to do something
To get you in the mood means to get you ready for something good. It might just be to relax for the weekend. A good holiday will get you in the mood, a swim might get you in the mood—whatever it takes to get you out of yourself, whatever it takes to get you feeling better about yourself or about life in general, will get you in the mood.
Example: Here’s some music to get you in the mood on the way home on a Friday Evening.
10. To Get Something off Your Chest
Meaning: to tell something about your problems
A great way to keep the spirits up is to share the problem, tell somebody about it. Talk to a friend—they may not be able to solve the problem, but you know what? Sharing is caring.
When you talk about it, a problem shared is a problem halved. It doesn’t look so bad when you talk about it. Somebody might give you a few suggestions, or they might just sympathize with you, give you some sympathetic words of advice, or just an arm around the shoulder. Things look a little better, even if it’s for a little time or a short period of time.
Conclusion
So, let’s reread these 10 super C1 English expressions to describe feelings and moods. 1. Buoyant mood 2. Lift the mood 3. low spirits 4. to sink into despair 5. a sinking feeling or that sinking feeling 6. to raise or boost morale 7. something that weighs on your mind 8. to keep the spirits up 9. to get in the mood 10. to get something off your chest. All expressions describing mood—try a few of them, see if they work, see if you understand them.
Students Also Read:
C1 Verb List: 20 Advanced Verbs in English
10 C1 Negative Emotions English Vocabulary