Synonyms for “emotional”

adjective

1. =  psychological, private, personal, hidden, spiritual, inner • Victims are left with emotional problems that can last for life.
2. =  moving, touching, affecting, exciting, stirring, thrilling, sentimental, poignant, emotive, heart-rending, heart-warming, tear-jerking (informal) • It was a very emotional moment.
3. =  emotive, sensitive, controversial, delicate, contentious, heated, inflammatory, touchy, hot-button (informal) • Selling ivory from elephants is a very emotional issue.
4. =  passionate, enthusiastic, sentimental, fiery, feeling, susceptible, responsive, ardent, fervent, zealous, temperamental, excitable, demonstrative, hot-blooded, fervid, touchy-feely (informal) • I don't get as emotional as I once did.
   opposites: dispassionate, cold, detached, insensitive, unmoved, apathetic, unsentimental, phlegmatic, unfeeling, unemotional, undemonstrative, unruffled, unenthusiastic, unexcitable
   Although emotive can be used as a synonym of emotional, there are differences in meaning that should first be understood. Emotional is the more general and neutral word for referring to anything to do with the emotions and emotional states. Emotive has the more restricted meaning of `tending to arouse emotion', and is often associated with issues, subjects, language, and words. However, since emotional can also mean `arousing emotion', with certain nouns it is possible to use either word, depending on the slant one wishes to give: an emotive/emotional appeal on behalf of the disadvantaged young.