A Human Dictionary

Understanding the transformative power of language doesn’t require a linguistics degree. It only takes an honest attempt to express a deeply personal feeling to encounter the friction between inner truth and outer expression.

Helen Keller, in both The Story of My Life and The World I Live In, demonstrates the profound impact of language. In those books, we witness how she shut herself off to the world due to her inability to communicate. It wasn’t until Sullivan gave her the word “water” that a whole new world opened up to her, shifting her self-perception from a being with no will or intellect to one of liberation and happiness when she was able to communicate with other children freely.

Finding words that properly categorize and describe our most profound experiences with other humans is even the cornerstone of therapy. It is crucial not only for connecting and attaching, but for gaining insight into ourselves and the world around us. Verbal communication prioritizes the external world—’there’s a tiger over there!’—our inner experiences deserve attention. Humans are a social species, and at this stage in our development, we are now able to focus more on communicating these inner truths and significantly impact our ability to relate to one another. 

Across cultures, the power and nuance of language will vary. Some languages offer a nuanced vocabulary for love, while others may focus on naming types of anger. This diversity is not a barrier, but a fascinating aspect of our shared human experience, inviting us to explore and appreciate the richness of language.

This blog aims to not only expound upon words you may already know but also to define some differences between similar words, such as ‘irritation’ and ‘aggravation’, or ‘love’ and ‘infatuation’, and provide you with some new ones.

Additionally, this blog provides supplementary information for creatives attempting to convey facta non verba in their mediums, whether written or visual. 

The goal is not to reinvent the wheel, but to add nuance to your daily life. To offer some common biofeedback to help understand what you might be feeling, and provide creative tools for believable emotion in writing and art. Whatever brings you here, the ultimate goal is to be helpful wherever you are in life.

🗣️ Pronunciation

nerv-ous /ˈnərvəs/ \nihr-vihss\

💭Feeling Family

😱Fear

📖Definition

adjective

Merriam-Webster’s: 

timid, apprehensive

easily excited or irritated; jumpy

of or relating to the nerves

tending to produce nervousness or agitation; uneasy

appearing or acting unsteady, erratic, or irregular → use of inanimate things

of, relating to, or composed of neurons

marked by strength of thought, feeling, or style; spirited

(archaic) sinewy, strong

Oxford Languages:

easily agitated or alarmed; tending to be anxious or high-strung

anxious or apprehensive

(of a feeling or reaction) resulting from anxiety or anticipation.

Relating to or affecting the nerves.

Cambridge:

worried or anxious

relating to the nerves

[intermediate english] worried or slightly frightened; relating to or controlled by the nervous system in the body

📐Semantic Drift

Merriam-Webster’s:

[archaic] sinewy, strong

Oxford English Dictionary:

†Of the sinew

[a1400-75] affecting sinews or tendons

[a1400-1747] full of sinews

[1483-1834] prominent sinews

[1601-1763] of the nature of sinew; tough, strong

[1616-1844] of a person: strong, muscular, energetic

[1616-1870] of possession of sinew; corporeal, physical

[1638-1735] of a bow: strung with sinew

[1663-1896] of prose: powerful, forceful

[1775-1987] applied to speakers and writers (rare)

Senses relating to nerves

[a1400-] full of nervous, innervated (rare)

[a1425-] affecting the nervous or nervous system

[c1475-] relating to nerve tissue

[1718-] of a medicine: alleviating nerve disorders (rare)

[1740-] of temperament: excitable, anxious, timid

†[1775-1846] stimulating to the nerves

[1804-] involving the nerves of the mind

[1827-] of feelings: resulting from or accompanied by mental agitation

[1844-] of physical appearance: manifesting or betraying; trembling, restless

[1848-] of animals: easily agitated, wary

[1933-] stock market: invested cautiously

†In botanical use

[1688-1776] botany = nervose

⬜Experience

NERVOUS is most often framed as a physiological reaction or a behavior descriptor. She’s a nervous speaker; he gets nervous before tests. It’s treated as adjacent to anxiety, a sign of weakness, or a lack of self-control.

But NERVOUS can be experienced as an emotion. It’s transient, anticipatory, and relational, arising in moments of vulnerability and emotional risk. It’s our way of preparing for the impact of rejection, revelation, or even something as simple as recognition.

While it does live in the fear family, unlike fear, which is a response to imminent danger, NERVOUS is a signal flare of possibility. It’s felt in the little flutter before truthtelling, or the pause before a confession. It’s capable of coexisting with emotions that may be considered contradictory, such as hope or desire, particularly when the stakes are high or deeply significant.

As an emotion, it’s not inherently negative. Instead, it should be your sign that whatever is happening around you is important. It will lead to a moment of choice, in which courage, attunement, or emotional investment is necessary. Internally, the body signals: This matters; I care.

With this in mind, NERVOUS, as an emotion, is complex and misunderstood, requiring emotional literacy to recognize it amongst the litany of similar emotions and states, and to discern the meaning beneath the discomfort.

🫀Biofeedback

Shallow breath

Tension in the throat

Elevated heart rate

Cool extremities

Restless movements

Frequently scanning the environment, jumpy

🛠️Facta Non Verba

Body Language:

Gestures: movements that are clipped or jerky, pacing, fingers tugging at sleeves or rubbing the back of the neck, fidgeting

Posture: rounded or slouched shoulders, weight shifting, arms held close to the body or crossed over the chest

Expression:

Eyes: rapid blinking, narrowed eyes, fleeting eye contact

Mouth: biting at lips/cheek, lips pressed, jaw tense or flexing

Brow: furrowed or lifted unevenly, twitches,

Dialogue Tags:

Admitted: reluctantly honest and exposed

Blurted: words spilling forth

Murmured: uncertain and hushed

Stammered: raw and staggered

Whispered: cautious explanation

📃Microprompts

These prompts are to help get the juices flowing, now that you are armed with a definition, experience, biofeedback, and nonverbal cues. You are free and welcome to share them with us—but there is never any pressure to do so.

✒️Writer

Someone rehearses a confession in their head for days. Finally, when they get the moment to follow through, their voice trembles as the words spill out all wrong, while they forget half of what they meant to say.

🎨Artist

A single figure stands in front of a closed door. In one hand, they have something small, such as a letter or a gift. They’re tense, and their hand is raised to knock, but they never get the courage.

📓Journal

Has there ever been a moment when you were nervous, not out of fear, but because something mattered deeply? What was at stake? What did you notice in your body? What did it protect you from—and what did it cost?

🗣️ Pronunciation

ad-mi-ra-ble

/ˈadm(ə)rəb(ə)l/

\ad-mirh-uh-bull\

💭Feeling Family

🤝Trust

📖Definition

adjective

Merriam-Webster’s: 

deserving of the highest esteem; excellent

[obsolete] exciting wonder; surprise

Oxford Languages:

arousing or deserving of respect and approval

Cambridge:

deserving respect or approval.

⬜Experience

ADMIRABLE is generally viewed as an assigned trait. He has admirable traits; her achievements are admirable.

However, much like abandon, it is possible to experience ADMIRABLE as an emotion. It can be a quiet state of self-recognition or earned pride. A moment where integrity, effort, or presence align perfectly with one’s values and are internally affirmed. These moments, which could be likened to pride and joy, are not boastful or euphoric. There are instances where one’s actions and behavior are considered worthy of admiration, instilling a sense of trust and pride in oneself.

It is a vulnerable, more relational experience, fostering a sense of connection and empathy.

It’s a blend of trust in oneself or the values one has upheld, subtle joy, and mild anticipation. An internal sense of being seen, but not necessarily celebrated, and even steeped in imposter syndrome if it’s externally acknowledged before internally felt.

When viewed as an emotion, ADMIRABLE is complex, internal, and subtle. It is not a straightforward feeling, but a nuanced one that requires introspection to understand fully.

🫀Biofeedback

Relaxed breathing

Softly weighted exhale

Calm heart rate

Warmth in the chest and the peripherals

Sense of connection, earned contentment, and groundedness

Relaxed muscles

Clarity of thought and reduced self-monitoring

🛠️Facta Non Verba

Body Language:

Gestures: relaxed hands, gentle self-touch, little to no fidgeting, nodding along and active listening sounds with interest

Posture: Upright, lifted head, relaxed; standing near others and subtly leaning in, possibly mirroring others

Expression:

Eyes: open, focused, engaged, and lingering

Mouth: relaxed, possibly with a subtle smile

Brow: relaxed and at ease

Dialogue Tags:

Acknowledge - give quiet recognition

Reflect - thoughtful clarity

Offer - appreciative praise or generosity

Share - appropriate vulnerability

📃Microprompts

These prompts are to help get the juices flowing, now that you are armed with a definition, experience, biofeedback, and nonverbal cues. You are free and welcome to share them with us—but there is never any pressure to do so.

✒️Writer

Someone appears on another person’s doorstop, passing them an envelope with something desperately needed. They don’t wait for the envelope to be opened or for the gesture to be acknowledged; they simply step back out into the cold and walk away.

🎨Artist

A pair; one performing acts of care quietly, the other not noticing. Admiration is not expressed, but it’s there in the choice to act regardless.

📓Journal

Has there ever been a moment when you acted generously without seeking recognition or praise? 

🗣️ Pronunciation:

a-ban-don /əˈbandən/ \uh-ban-don\

💭Feeling Family:

♻️Threshold emotion

📖Definitions:

noun

Merriam-Webster’s: a thorough yielding to natural impulses

Oxford English Dictionary: complete freedom from constraint or convention; surrender or abandonment to natural impulses; lack of inhibition or restraint

Oxford Languages: complete lack of inhibition or restraint

Cambridge: in a completely uncontrolled way

⬜Experience

We typically think of abandon as a verb, and when we do use it as a noun, it’s usually attached with a modifier to make it a state of being (‘wild abandon’). However, it is through the liberating abandonment of all else that we allow ourselves to become fully immersed in the moment, inspiring us to embrace life with open hearts. It can be raw despair—the sense of being discarded and forgotten, a hollow ache of isolation. It can be a liberated release—letting go of inhibition and dancing alone in the rain. And, sometimes, it’s both—a deep yearning to be seen but relief when disappearing. As a wound and as liberation, it is both the collapse of the walls of safety; one brings fear and shame, while the other is embracing the moment with an open heart rather than guardedness.

While ‘abandon’ may not be viewed as an independent emotion, it is a state of being that I felt was worth including. It’s a popular word in literature, but how do we truly define it? The best summary I’ve come across for this experience is: to feel abandoned is to feel fully present.

🫀Biofeedback:

Negative:

Chest tightness

Cold extremities

Lethargy and weariness

Tight throat

Positive:

Goosebumps 

Elevated heartbeat

Relaxed muscles

Tingling 

🛠️Facta Non Verba

⛔Negative

Body Language:

Gestures: fidgeting or even sitting entirely still

Posture: slumped, hanging head

Expression:

Eyes: Averted, unfocused, dull

Mouth: lip biting

Dialogue Tags:

Whisper - evokes a sense of fragility

Murmur - conveys hesitation

Plead - carries raw desperation

Sob - painful overwhelm

Choke - desperate restraint

Confess - shameful admission

Lament - completely mournful

Quaver - trembling with trepidation

Blurt - a sudden discharge

Moan - vulnerable ache

✅Positive

Body Language:

Gestures: loose, expansive, emotive

Posture: straight, leaning forward slightly when engaged with others

Expression:

Eyes: open, bright, focused

Many lists of descriptors or body language notes I’ve come across note that eye contact is consistent and intense. However, this should be considered from a sociological perspective. In some cultures where eye contact is considered confrontational, a marked awareness of the surroundings may be more appropriate.

Mouth: genuine smile (crinkled eyes)

Dialogue Tags:

Exclaim - exuberant communication

Shout - loud and untamed

Cry out - spontaneous defiance

Declare - unapologetic statement

Gasp - out of breath

Sang - euphoric singing

Whoop - loud celebratory cries

Bellow - crude release

Rave - fiery intensity

Spill - speaking rapidly with no filter

📃Microprompts

These prompts are to help get the juices flowing, now that you are armed with a definition, experience, biofeedback, and nonverbal cues. You are free and welcome to share them with us—but there is never any pressure to do so.

✒️Writer: Write a scene where a character is speaking in bursts because silence feels like erasure. Let their voice be the map, without using any feeling words.

🎨Artist:

Sketch a figure mid-collapse or mid-flight.

📓Journaling

When have you felt the most present?