In 1872 Charles Darwin published a whole book arguing emotions are universal. What was its subject?

The expression of emotions in humans and animals.

People & Body

Emotions Word Search

This emotions word search hides words like happy, angry, scared to find. Play it free online or print the PDF with the answer key, a handy emotions vocabulary activity.

10 words · 11×11 grid · Medium · Answer key included · Free printable PDF

People & Body

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Tap the first and last letter of a word — or use arrow keys and Enter. Dragging works too.

CONFIDENT
SURPRISED
CHEERFUL
GRATEFUL
PEACEFUL
JEALOUS
NERVOUS
SCARED
HAPPY
ANGRY

🎉 Solved — all 10 words found!

True stories

Free hugs

Sydney, Australia

On a gray afternoon in Sydney, Australia, a young man scrawled the words Free Hugs on a piece of cardboard and held it up in a busy shopping street. For a long while nobody stopped. Then an elderly woman, who said she had just lost her dog and was feeling low, stepped forward and asked for a hug. Slowly others joined, until strangers were embracing on the pavement. A short film of the scene spread around the world and sparked Free Hugs days on every continent. The man behind it said he only wanted to give people a small moment of warmth on an ordinary day.

The laughter that spread

Kashasha, Tanzania

In 1962, in the village of Kashasha, Tanzania, three schoolgirls started laughing in class and could not stop. Within days the giggling had spread to dozens of their classmates, then to nearby schools, with fits returning for hours at a time. Doctors who studied it found nothing physically wrong, and the girls were perfectly healthy. Researchers later described it as a mass psychogenic response, where strong feeling travels through a group like a current, carried by stress and close contact. Several schools closed until the wave passed. It remains one of the most famous reminders that emotions, even laughter, can be quietly contagious.

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Did you know?

happy: Your brain treats looking forward as part of the fun: planning a trip can make people happier than the trip itself.
angry: Anger raises your body temperature and heart rate, which is why we call a furious person hot-headed or boiling over.
scared: When you are scared your pupils grow wide to let in more light, an automatic trick to help you spot danger.
jealous: Jealousy appears early: babies as young as six months can show signs of it when a parent's attention turns elsewhere.
nervous: Butterflies are real: when you feel nervous, blood rushes toward your muscles and away from the stomach, leaving it fluttery.
cheerful: Studies suggest that even forcing a small smile can nudge the brain toward a lighter, more cheerful mood.
grateful: Keeping a weekly gratitude list has been shown in studies to improve sleep and lift overall mood over time.
peaceful: Spending time in green, natural surroundings lowers stress hormones and blood pressure, leaving many people calmer and more peaceful.
confident: People often judge confidence within seconds of meeting someone, reading it from posture, eye contact, and the steadiness of a voice.
surprised: Surprise is the shortest emotion; a true look of surprise flashes across the face and fades in under one second.
frustrated: The word frustrated comes from a Latin root meaning in vain, capturing the feeling of effort that leads nowhere.
embarrassed: Blushing is a uniquely human response; Charles Darwin called it the most peculiar and most human of all expressions.
excited: Excitement and fear feel almost identical inside the body, so telling yourself you are excited can steady pre-performance nerves.
delighted: The word delight traces back to a Latin root meaning to allure or charm, unrelated to the light it resembles.
hopeful: Studies link a hopeful outlook to better health habits and recovery, as expecting good outcomes encourages people to keep trying.

Trivia

Psychologist Paul Ekman argued that a few basic emotions share the same facial expressions worldwide. Can you name three?
Any three of: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, disgust.
What almond-shaped part of the brain helps process fear and other strong emotions?
The amygdala.
Which hormone, released during hugs and bonding, is often nicknamed the cuddle or love hormone?
Oxytocin.
A genuine smile that crinkles the eyes is named after a French scientist. What is it called?
A Duchenne smile.
In 1872 Charles Darwin published a whole book arguing emotions are universal. What was its subject?
The expression of emotions in humans and animals.

Trivia · 1 / 5

Psychologist Paul Ekman argued that a few basic emotions share the same facial expressions worldwide. Can you name three?

Any three of: happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise, disgust.

In their words

Let us not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives, and we obey them without even knowing it.
Vincent van Gogh

When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.
Dale Carnegie

Is this emotions word search free to print?

This emotions word search is a free printable puzzle with 10 hidden words in an 11×11 grid. Find words like CONFIDENT, SURPRISED, CHEERFUL hidden across, down, and diagonally. You can play it right here in your browser — tap the first and last letter of a word — or download it as a printable PDF with the full answer key on page two. It's free for personal and classroom use, so teachers can print copies for a whole class with no sign-up and no account. Word searches like this one are a proven way to build vocabulary, spelling, and word-shape recognition, which is why they're a favourite with ESL learners, elementary classrooms, and anyone who likes a quiet puzzle with their coffee.

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