contented, desolate, remorseful, perplexed, furious: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Feelings set 4. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. contented · adjective/kənˈtɛn(t)əd/

   happy and satisfied

   The location of the hotel was just perfect; the staff was very friendly and the room service was great. We left the hotel feeling contented.

   Synonyms: pleased, glad, gratified

2. desolate · adjective/ˈdɛsələt/

   feeling very sad and lonely

   Having made a series of bad choices, he was abandoned by many of his friends and family members, which made him feel utterly desolate.

   Synonyms: gloomy, deserted, disconsolate

   Origin: late Middle English: from Latin desolatus ‘abandoned’, past participle of desolare, from de- ‘thoroughly’ + solus ‘alone’

3. remorseful · adjective/rəˈmɔrsf(ə)l/

   feeling sorry because you did something bad

   When I think about all the trouble I caused my parents when I was a teenager, I feel really remorseful.

   Synonyms: regretful, apologetic

4. perplexed · adjective/pərˈplɛkst/

   very confused

   Seeing the police at his door in the middle of the night, he looked perplexed as he had no idea why they might be there.

   Synonyms: confused, baffled, puzzled

5. furious · adjective/ˈfjʊriəs/

   extremely angry

   Their inability to deal with even the slightest problem and lack of organization skills made me absolutely furious.

   Synonyms: infuriated, raging, exasperated

   Origin: late Middle English: from Old French furieus, from Latin furiosus, from furia ‘fury’