Chengyu to describe emotions

Joy & Satisfaction (positive, friendly)

• 喜出望外 (xǐ chū wàng wài) — joy beyond expectations.
  Use: “When the offer arrived, we were 喜出望外.”
• 眉开眼笑 (méi kāi yǎn xiào) — beaming with joy.
  Use: “She walked in 眉开眼笑 after the exam.”
• 心满意足 (xīn mǎn yì zú) — completely satisfied.
  Use: “A simple picnic left everyone 心满意足.”
• 心花怒放 (xīn huā nù fàng) — heart blossoms; overjoyed.
  Use: “Fans were 心花怒放 at the encore.”

Anger & Annoyance (strong → neutral)

• 怒发冲冠 (nù fà chōng guān) — hair bristling with rage (very strong; literary).
  Use: “The injustice made people 怒发冲冠.”
• 怒气冲冲 (nù qì chōng chōng) — storming with anger (colloquial).
  Use: “He left the meeting 怒气冲冲.”
• 气急败坏 (qì jí bài huài) — flustered and furious.
  Use: “Under tough questions, the spokesperson looked 气急败坏.”

Sadness, Discouragement & Regret

• 心灰意冷 (xīn huī yì lěng) — disheartened; demoralized.
  Use: “Repeated rejections left her 心灰意冷.”
• 悲痛欲绝 (bēi tòng yù jué) — heartbroken (very strong).
  Use: “The family was 悲痛欲绝 at the news.”
• 扼腕叹息 (è wàn tàn xī) — regret deeply; “wring one’s wrists.”
  Use: “Missing the deadline made us 扼腕叹息.”

Anxiety, Nervousness & Unease

• 心急如焚 (xīn jí rú fén) — anxiety like burning (urgent worry).
  Use: “Waiting for results, we were 心急如焚.”
• 忐忑不安 (tǎn tè bù ān) — uneasy; restless.
  Use: “Before the pitch he felt 忐忑不安.”
• 七上八下 (qī shàng bā xià) — emotions up and down; unsettled.
  Use: “Her heart was 七上八下 during the interview.”

Fear, Shock & Surprise

• 胆战心惊 (dǎn zhàn xīn jīng) — terrified; trembling with fear.
  Use: “Hiking in the storm left us 胆战心惊.”
• 提心吊胆 (tí xīn diào dǎn) — on tenterhooks; constantly worried.
  Use: “Parents were 提心吊胆 until the call came.”
• 目瞪口呆 (mù dèng kǒu dāi) — stunned; speechless.
  Use: “The twist ending left viewers 目瞪口呆.”
• 大吃一惊 (dà chī yì jīng) — get a big fright; be greatly surprised.
  Use: “We were 大吃一惊 by the sudden outage.”

Calm, Composure & Relief

• 泰然自若 (tài rán zì ruò) — calm and unruffled.
  Use: “Under pressure, she stayed 泰然自若.”
• 心平气和 (xīn píng qì hé) — calm and reasonable.
  Use: “Let’s discuss this 心平气和.”
• 如释重负 (rú shì zhòng fù) — feel relieved; a burden lifted.
  Use: “After shipping v1, we felt 如释重负.”

Embarrassment, Pride & Excitement (watch tone)

• 面红耳赤 (miàn hóng ěr chì) — flushed with embarrassment/anger.
  Use: “He went 面红耳赤 during Q&A.”
• 洋洋得意 (yáng yáng dé yì) — smugly proud (often negative).
  Use: “Don’t sound 洋洋得意 after a small win.”
• 心潮澎湃 (xīn cháo péng pài) — emotions surging; thrilled.
  Use: “At the ceremony we were 心潮澎湃.”

Placement & Register Tips

• Predicate position: “She was 忐忑不安 before the audition.”
• Adverbial position: “He 泰然自若 handled the tough question.”
• Strength control: choose 眉开眼笑 / 心满意足 for gentle joy; use 喜出望外 / 心花怒放 for stronger joy.
• Formality: 怒发冲冠、悲痛欲绝、心潮澎湃 are elevated; 大吃一惊、七上八下 are conversational.

Mini Dialogues (short, natural)

• A: “How did it go?”
  B: “Nervous at first—忐忑不安—but the panel was kind.”
• A: “You look relieved.”
  B: “Totally 如释重负 now that audits are done.”
• A: “Why the big smile?”
  B: “Offer letter! I’m 喜出望外.”

Quick Practice (choose the best chengyu)

1. Overjoyed after unexpected good news → 喜出望外.
2. Calm and unruffled under pressure → 泰然自若.
3. Extremely discouraged after repeated failures → 心灰意冷.
4. Very anxious while waiting for results → 心急如焚 / 提心吊胆 (nuance: urgent worry vs ongoing worry).
5. Stunned into silence by a surprise → 目瞪口呆.

Common Pitfalls (fixes)

• Too strong for context: Reserve 悲痛欲绝、怒发冲冠 for serious situations. Swap to milder 难过 / 生气 if needed.
• Stacking idioms: One chengyu per sentence keeps tone natural.
• Person-targeting: Aim at feelings/situations, not people (“We felt 七上八下,” not “You are…”).

Takeaway: Keep a compact set for each emotion family—joy (喜出望外, 眉开眼笑), anger (怒气冲冲), anxiety (忐忑不安, 心急如焚), fear/shock (提心吊胆, 目瞪口呆), calm/relief (泰然自若, 如释重负), sadness/regret (心灰意冷, 扼腕叹息). Pick one, place it cleanly, and your emotional tone will be clear and native-like.