emotively
emotively — adverb
1. in a manner that produces strong emotional responses in others or that shows the
in a manner that produces strong emotional responses in others or that shows the speaker's own intense feelings about a subject
Beatriz spoke emotively about her childhood in Argentina, moving many listeners to tears.
speak + emotively about [topic]
The politician was criticized for dealing emotively with a complex economic problem.
In a long letter, Trang wrote emotively about the poor conditions at the factory.
Hassan's short film shows the effects of the war on children very emotively.
- passionately
suggests stronger personal involvement and enthusiasm
- emotionally
broader in meaning; covers any kind of feeling
- feelingly
more literary and formal; emphasises empathy
- dispassionately
without strong emotion; in a calm, objective manner
文法句型
speak/write/describe + emotively
emotively — adjective
- emotivelypositive
- more emotivelycomparative
- most emotivelysuperlative
1. causing people to hold very strong feelings about a topic, often leading them to
causing people to hold very strong feelings about a topic, often leading them to support or oppose something intensely
Gun control remains one of the most emotive issues in American politics today.
emotive issue / topic / subject
The decision to close the village school was an emotive topic for local parents.
Joaquín handled the emotive subject of immigration with great care and sensitivity.
The proposed tax changes proved highly emotive, sparking protests across the country.
Animal testing is such an emotive subject that rational debate is often difficult.
- divisive
focuses on causing disagreement between groups
- controversial
focuses on causing argument and debate
- emotional
broader; can describe the issue or the people involved
- uncontroversial
not causing disagreement or strong feeling
- neutral
not taking a side; not stirring emotion
文法句型
emotive + noun (issue, topic, subject, debate)
用法筆記
This is the most common sense in everyday news and discussion. The subject of the sentence is typically a controversial issue. The word suggests that the topic itself provokes strong reactions, not that a speaker is deliberately trying to stir emotion.
常見錯誤
2. relating to people's feelings and emotional states rather than to facts or logic
relating to people's feelings and emotional states rather than to facts or logical thinking
The word 'cancer' carries strong emotive meaning for most people.
emotive meaning
This region of the brain controls emotive responses to music and art.
The study examined the emotive power of colour in television advertising.
Noa's poetry draws much of its strength from deeply emotive imagery.
- cognitive
relating to thinking and reasoning rather than feeling
文法句型
emotive + noun
用法筆記
This is the most technical sense of 'emotive', commonly used in psychology, linguistics, and academic writing. It simply indicates a connection to emotion, without implying that the emotion is strong or manipulated.
常見錯誤
3. designed to make people feel a specific emotion, especially a strong one such as
designed to make people feel a specific emotion, especially a strong one such as sympathy, anger, or guilt
The charity used emotive photographs of rescued animals to encourage donations.
emotive photographs / images
Christopher's speech was full of emotive appeals to the audience's sense of fairness.
emotive appeal
The director used emotive background music to heighten the tension in the final scene.
Wren chose simple but emotive words to describe the beauty of the mountain landscape.
- emotionally charged
more informal; suggests the emotion is intense
- moving
generally positive; describes something that touches the heart
- sentimental
often negative; suggests exaggerated or shallow emotion
- unemotional
lacking emotion or feeling
- detached
emotionally distant or uninvolved
文法句型
emotive + noun (language, image, appeal)
用法筆記
Often used critically: describing language, images, or music as 'emotive' can imply that they manipulate feelings rather than appeal to reason.