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Synonyms

mood

1 American  
[mood] / mud /

noun

  1. a state or quality of feeling at a particular time.

    What's the boss' mood today?
    Synonyms:
    state of mind, frame of mind, disposition, humor, temper

  2. a distinctive emotional quality or character.

    The mood of the music was almost funereal.

  3. a prevailing emotional tone or general attitude.

    the country's mood.

  4. a frame of mind disposed or receptive, as to some activity or thing.

    I'm not in the mood to see a movie.

  5. a state of sullenness, gloom, or bad temper.

mood 2 American  
[mood] / mud /

noun

  1. Grammar.

    1. a set of categories for which the verb is inflected in many languages, and that is typically used to indicate the syntactic relation of the clause in which the verb occurs to other clauses in the sentence, or the attitude of the speaker toward what they are saying, such as certainty or uncertainty, wish or command, emphasis or hesitancy.

    2. a set of syntactic devices in some languages that is similar to this set in function or meaning, involving the use of auxiliary words, such as can, may, might.

    3. any of the categories of these sets.

      the Latin indicative, imperative, and subjunctive moods.

  2. Logic. a classification of categorical syllogisms by the use of three letters that name, respectively, the major premise, the minor premise, and the conclusion.

mood 1 British  
/ muːd /

noun

  1. a temporary state of mind or temper

    a cheerful mood

  2. a sullen or gloomy state of mind, esp when temporary

    she's in a mood

  3. a prevailing atmosphere or feeling

  4. in a favourable state of mind (for something or to do something)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
mood 2 British  
/ muːd /

noun

  1. grammar a category of the verb or verbal inflections that expresses semantic and grammatical differences, including such forms as the indicative, subjunctive, and imperative

  2. logic one of the possible arrangements of the syllogism, classified solely by whether the component propositions are universal or particular and affirmative or negative Compare figure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
mood Idioms  

  1. see in a bad mood; in the mood.

Etymology

Origin of mood1

First recorded before 900; Middle English mod, mode “mind” (as opposed to body), Old English mōd “mind, spirit; courage”; cognate with German Mut, Gothic mōths “courage,” Old Norse mōthr “anger”

Origin of mood2

First recorded in 1525–35; special use of mood 1 by influence of mode 1

Explanation

Are you feeling good or bad, cheerful or irritable right now? This is your mood. Mood refers to how you feel at the present time. If you want to ask your boss for a raise, wait until he or she is in a good mood. Don't ask, though, if he or she is "in a mood" - that means the person is grumpy. If you are in the mood for something like ice cream or spicy food, you would like to have it now. Mood can also describe the attitude of a group of people or the feeling of a film, novel or piece of music.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

WASHINGTON—World leaders, bankers and investors who convened this week for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank’s spring meetings were in a dour mood.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

A mood of high anxiety a few weeks ago has given way to cautious optimism amid a fragile cease-fire and retreating oil prices.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

Hally’s mood darkens as soon as he learns from Sam that his mother is bringing his dad home from the hospital.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

CEO Elon Musk also tweeted a picture of new Tesla chip hardware, which might have contributed to investors’ good mood.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

If Penelope had been in a jollier mood, the idea of Mrs. Clarke in a pair of ice skates, gracefully twirling and leaping across a frozen expanse, would have made her struggle not to laugh.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.