A. Positive feelings, moods and states

• Maria seems to be on cloud nine these days. [extremely pleased/happy]
• Everyone seemed to be in high spirits. [lively, enjoying things]
• She seems to be keeping her chin up. [happy despite bad things]
• Jo’s as happy as Larry / as happy as can be. [extremely content]

B. Negative feelings, moods and states

• He had a long face. [looked depressed/sad]
• She certainly looked down in the dumps. [looked depressed/sad]
• Zac is in a bad mood. [a bad mood/temper]
• Martin was like a bear with a sore head. [extremely irritable]
• Alice threw a wobbly the other day. [became extremely angry and upset]

C. Physical feelings and states

• I’m feeling done in. [exhausted]
• You’re looking a bit under the weather. [not very well / ill]
• She looked, and felt, on top form. [in good physical condition]
• I suddenly felt my head was spinning. [unable to balance, feel as if you will fall over]
• I was almost at death’s door last week! [very sick/ill]
• Old Nora’s as fit as a fiddle. [very fit indeed]

D. Fear/fright

• She was scared stiff. [very scared]
• She frightened the life out of him. [frightened him a lot]
• We were all shaking in our boots/shoes. [trembling with fear]
• The poor lad was scared out of his wits. [very scared indeed]
• I jumped out of my skin when I heard the bang. [gave a big jump]

E. Other expressions for actions and feelings

¹ get too excited
² stay calm
³ deal calmly with events as they happen
⁴ improving
⁵ feel proud / very pleased because of something good that you did
⁶ very happy indeed