Emotionally

Emotionally is an English adverb describing something related to or affected by emotions. It is formed from the adjective emotional plus the -ly suffix and is primarily used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, indicating the manner or impact of an emotional state. For example, in "She spoke emotionally," the manner of speaking is guided by feeling; in "The film was emotionally moving," the work elicits strong feelings.

It is often contrasted with emotional, which is an adjective used to describe things that pertain to emotions or are capable of provoking emotion, as in "an emotional moment." Common uses of emotionally include phrases such as emotionally charged, emotionally exhausted, or emotionally intelligent. In psychology and everyday discourse, emotionally framed language can reflect subjective experience, mood regulation, or interpersonal dynamics, but it does not by itself prove specific emotion.

Although mainly an adverb, emotionally can appear in compound adjectives and set phrases that describe a person’s state or behavior, such as "emotionally unavailable" or "emotionally resilient." The term is widely understood across varieties of English and is used in both clinical and casual contexts.

See also: emotion, emotions, emotional, affect, mood, emotional intelligence, emotion regulation.