Emotional Intelligence Terms

verb to make someone or something seem less impressive or important

• It is inappropriate to belittle others in a professional setting.
• Don't belittle your sister's achievements just because you're jealous.
• Stop trying to belittle me, I know what I'm doing.
• His constant criticism seemed to belittle her very existence.

noun the action of constantly finding fault or complaining

adjective tending to find fault or criticize; complaining

• The carping critic pointed out every flaw in the artist's work.
• Stop carping about the weather and just enjoy the day.
• Why are you always carping about everything? Chill out!
• Her constant carping was like a mosquito buzzing in my ear.

verb to reach an agreement or understanding

preposition to reach a settlement or compromise

• After much negotiation, the two parties were finally able to come to terms on the contract.
• It took a while, but we eventually came to terms and agreed on a price for the car.
• I had to come to terms with the fact that I wasn't going to get my way this time.
• She struggled to come to terms with the loss of her beloved pet.

noun a lack of harmony or agreement

• The disharmony among the team members was affecting the project's progress.
• There was so much disharmony in the family reunion that it was hard to enjoy the party.
• The disharmony between them was so obvious, you could cut the tension with a knife.
• The disharmony in their relationship was like a discordant melody that never seemed to resolve.

noun a feeling of self-consciousness, awkwardness, or shame

verb to cause someone to feel self-conscious, awkward, or ashamed

• He was deeply embarrassed by his mistake in front of the entire board of directors.
• She felt so embarrassed when she tripped and spilled her drink at the party.
• I was totally red-faced when I accidentally called my teacher 'mom' in class.
• The team's poor performance in the championship game was an embarrassing defeat for the entire school.

noun mental or emotional stability or composure, especially under tension or strain

• She maintained her equanimity in the face of adversity, never allowing her emotions to cloud her judgment.
• Even when things got tough, he managed to keep his equanimity and stay calm.
• No matter what happens, just keep your equanimity and don't let it get to you.
• In the storm of life, find your inner equanimity to weather any challenge that comes your way.

noun a display or appearance that is not genuine or true

• The politician's promises turned out to be a false show of commitment to the people.
• Don't be fooled by his false show of sympathy, he doesn't really care.
• Her apology was just a false show, she doesn't mean it at all.
• The elaborate decorations were just a false show to distract from the true issues at hand.

verb to have a harmonious or friendly relationship with someone

adverb in a manner that allows for harmonious or friendly relationships

• The colleagues seem to get along well in the workplace.
• My siblings and I get along great most of the time.
• I heard those two really hit it off and get along like a house on fire.
• In order to succeed, the different departments must learn to get along and work together harmoniously.

noun the act or method of dealing with or controlling something

verb to deal with or control something

• Proper handling of sensitive information is crucial in maintaining data security.
• Make sure you're handling those fragile items with care.
• I'm not sure if I can handle the drama she's always handling.
• She's really good at handling difficult situations with grace and poise.

noun a temporary pause or delay in action

• She spoke with hesitation as she carefully chose her words.
• He hesitated before answering the question.
• I ain't got no hesitation when it comes to making decisions.
• His hesitation was like a roadblock in the path to success.

noun a person who is easily angered or quick to lose their temper

• The hotheaded individual acted impulsively without considering the consequences.
• Don't be such a hothead and think before you speak.
• That hothead always blows up over the smallest things.
• His temper was like a wildfire, uncontrollable and fierce, earning him the nickname hothead.

adjective describing someone who is in a bad mood or easily irritated

• The ill-humored professor rarely smiled during lectures.
• Don't take it personally, he's just in an ill-humored mood today.
• She's been acting so ill-humored lately, I don't know what her problem is.
• The dark clouds in the sky seemed ill-humored, as if a storm was brewing.

noun none

verb none

adjective relating to or situated inside or further towards the center of something

adverb none

pronoun none

preposition none

conjunction none

interjection none

article none

• She spent years meditating to connect with her inner self.
• I need to work on my inner strength to get through this tough time.
• I can't believe she spilled all of our inner secrets to everyone.
• The inner workings of the company are a mystery to most employees.

adjective relating to or characterized by introspection; examining one's own thoughts and feelings

• She spent the evening in an introspective mood, contemplating the meaning of life.
• He's always been a bit introspective, preferring to think things through before making a decision.
• I don't know why she's so introspective all the time, she needs to lighten up and have some fun.
• His introspective nature was like a deep well, with thoughts swirling beneath the surface.

adjective characterized by shifting patterns and colors like those of a kaleidoscope

• The kaleidoscopic patterns created by the artist were truly mesmerizing.
• The kaleidoscopic display at the concert was so cool.
• That kaleidoscopic video on TikTok went viral in no time.
• Her kaleidoscopic personality made her stand out in a crowd.

verb to overcome or defeat with superior strength or force

• The military's superior firepower was enough to overpower the enemy forces.
• She easily overpowered him in the arm wrestling match.
• The new video game character can overpower any opponent with its special moves.
• The loud music seemed to overpower the conversation in the room.

adjective stubborn or obstinate; having a narrow-minded or inflexible attitude

• His pigheaded refusal to consider any other options led to the project's failure.
• She can be so pigheaded sometimes, always insisting on having her own way.
• Don't be so pigheaded about it, just give it a try and see what happens.
• His pigheadedness was like a brick wall, impossible to break through with any logic or reasoning.

verb present participle of the verb 'pity', which means to feel sorry for someone or something

adjective feeling or showing pity; sympathetic

• She looked at him with a pitying expression, knowing he had been through a lot.
• I could see my friend's pitying gaze as I told her about my embarrassing moment.
• The group of girls were whispering and giving me pitying looks after I tripped in the hallway.
• The old house stood in the field, its windows pitying the passing of time.

noun A person who is self-possessed.

adjective Having or showing control of one's feelings, behavior, or actions; composed and confident.

• She remained self-possessed throughout the entire meeting, never once losing her composure.
• Even in the most chaotic situations, he always manages to stay self-possessed.
• Dude, I wish I could be as self-possessed as her in stressful situations.
• His self-possessed demeanor was like a shield, protecting him from the chaos around him.

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, in this case, 'self-restrained' describes someone who exercises control over their actions or emotions

• She displayed a great deal of self-restrained during the heated argument.
• He managed to stay self-restrained even when provoked by his annoying coworker.
• I can't believe he stayed so self-restrained when that guy cut him off in traffic.
• The artist's self-restrained use of color created a sense of calm in the painting.

noun a quality of being unfriendly or rude in a bad-tempered way

• The customer was taken aback by the surliness of the salesperson.
• His surliness really put a damper on the party.
• I can't stand her constant surliness, it's so annoying.
• The dark clouds overhead seemed to mirror his surliness.

noun the action of giving up or yielding to a higher power or authority

verb to give up or yield to a higher power or authority

• The soldier decided to surrender to the enemy forces.
• I think it's time for you to surrender and admit defeat.
• Just surrender already, there's no point in fighting.
• Sometimes it's better to surrender to the flow of life rather than resist it.

adjective showing or feeling sympathy; understanding and compassionate towards others

• The judge was sympathetic towards the defendant's difficult circumstances.
• I'm glad you're feeling sympathetic towards your friend's situation.
• I can't believe how unsympathetic she was when I told her what happened.
• The painting seemed to have a sympathetic relationship with the surrounding landscape.

noun understanding between people; common feeling

• The community showed great sympathy towards the family who lost their home in the fire.
• I really appreciate your sympathy during this difficult time.
• Thanks for the sympathy, it means a lot to me.
• His heart was filled with sympathy for the stray cat wandering the streets.

noun A word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In this case, 'sign' is a noun that refers to an indication or evidence of something.

adjective A word that describes or modifies a noun. In this case, 'telltale' is an adjective that describes the type of sign as being revealing or indicative of something.

• The telltale sign of a well-run organization is its strong financial performance.
• The telltale sign that the party was a success was the empty chip bowls and full trash cans.
• Her nervous fidgeting was a telltale sign that she was lying.
• The dark clouds gathering on the horizon were a telltale sign of the storm approaching.

adjective showing kindness or compassion; easily moved to pity or sympathy

• The tenderhearted nurse always showed compassion towards her patients.
• My friend is so tenderhearted, she cries at every sad movie.
• I can't believe how tenderhearted he is, it's like he has a soft spot for everyone.
• Despite his tough exterior, deep down he is quite tenderhearted.

verb to consider carefully before making a decision

adverb to do something with caution or hesitation

• Before making a decision, it is wise to think twice and consider all possible outcomes.
• If I were you, I would definitely think twice before agreeing to that deal.
• Dude, you better think twice before messing with him, he's not someone to mess with.
• When it comes to matters of the heart, sometimes it's best to think twice before letting your emotions take over.

adjective not genuine; fake or artificial

• Her ungenuine smile did not fool anyone at the business meeting.
• I can tell he's being ungenuine when he compliments me like that.
• Stop being so ungenuine, just be yourself.
• The painting looked beautiful from afar, but up close you could see the ungenuine brush strokes.

adjective An adjective describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. 'Unkind' describes someone who lacks kindness or compassion.

• His unkind remarks towards his colleagues were completely uncalled for.
• She can be really unkind when she's in a bad mood.
• Stop being so unkind, it's not cool.
• The storm's unkind winds battered the coastline relentlessly.

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun, in this case, 'unloving' describes someone or something lacking love or affection

• The unloving nature of their relationship was evident to everyone around them.
• She always knew her father was unloving, but it still hurt when he forgot her birthday.
• Her ex-boyfriend was so unloving, he didn't even care when she was sick.
• The dark clouds in the sky seemed unloving, blocking out the warm rays of the sun.

noun a harmless or trivial lie, especially one told to avoid hurting someone's feelings

• It is never appropriate to tell a white lie, even in a professional setting.
• I told a white lie to my friend about liking her new haircut.
• I totally dropped a white lie to get out of going to that party.
• Sometimes a white lie can protect someone's feelings without causing harm.

noun a small or subtle expression that is difficult to detect without close observation

• The psychologist was able to detect the suspect's guilt through his micro expressions.
• I can always tell when my sister is lying because of her micro expressions.
• Dude, did you see the micro expression on his face when he got caught?
• Her eyes betrayed a micro expression of sadness before she quickly composed herself.

verb to understand and share the feelings of another

• It is important for healthcare professionals to empathise with their patients to provide the best care possible.
• I can empathise with what you're going through, I've been there before.
• I totally get it, I can empathise with your situation.
• As a writer, I try to empathise with my characters to make them more relatable to readers.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or state of being

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• I am afraid to say that the project deadline will not be met.
• I'm afraid to say I forgot to do my homework.
• I'm scared to say that I messed up big time.
• She was afraid to say what was on her mind for fear of hurting his feelings.

noun a while

adverb after

• After a while, the research team was able to gather enough data to draw meaningful conclusions.
• After a while, we finally figured out how to use the new software.
• After a while, we decided to bounce from the party and go grab some food.
• After a while, the truth about the situation started to unravel like a tightly wound ball of yarn.

noun a term used in Ancient Greek for 'beloved' or 'dear one'

verb a form of the verb 'agapao' in Ancient Greek, meaning 'to love'

• The agapeti of the community were honored with a special award for their charitable work.
• The agapeti always throw the best parties in town.
• I heard the agapeti are throwing a rager this weekend.
• In the world of fashion, the designer's latest collection is considered the agapeti of the season.