mood

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈmüd 

1

: a conscious state of mind or predominant emotion : feeling

He's been in a good mood all week.

also : the expression of mood especially in art or literature

2

archaic : a fit of anger : rage

3

a

: a prevailing attitude

the kind of mood that fostered the Salem witch trials

—Nat Hentoff

b

: a receptive state of mind predisposing to action

was not in a giving mood at the time

c

: a distinctive atmosphere or context : aura

the weary city's sullen mood

—Marilyn Stasio

the mood is quiet and sleepy, as guests pick blueberries and read by the pond

—J. O. Nixon

mood

2 of 2

noun (2)

1

: the form of a syllogism as determined by the quantity and quality of its constituent propositions

2

: distinction of form or a particular set of inflectional forms of a verb to express whether the action or state it denotes is conceived as fact or in some other manner (such as command, possibility, or wish)

3

: mode sense 1b

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• cheer
• feather
• humor
• mode
• spirit
• temper

Examples of mood in a Sentence

Noun (1)

losing my favorite sweater left me in a bad mood for the rest of the day

there's a haunting mood of melancholy about the ruined old castle

in his mood, the king spared no one his venomous tongue

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The mood on Wall Street was generally upbeat about the housing picture. —Jeff Cox, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024

The Charcuterie Shift Smoked meats and soft cheeses instantly elevate any party, and a Christmas charcuterie board will set the celebratory mood early in the day. —Rai Mincey, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

Dogs are known to have a surprising affinity for music, as studies have shown that music can affect their moods and even behaviors. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

Such would-be scientific treatises in fact functioned more like manifestos, and decisively influenced Eliot and Ezra Pound’s generation to favor a poetics of the objective sensuous image over one of the dramatic declamatory mood. —Benjamin Kunkel, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English mōd; akin to Old High German muot mood

Noun (2)

alteration of mode entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1569, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mood

• in the mood
• mood board
• mood disorder
• mood music
• mood swing
• the mood takes someone

Kids Definition

mood

1 of 2 noun

ˈmüd 

1

: an emotional state of mind or feeling

also : the feeling expressed in a work of art or literature

2

: a dominant attitude or spirit

the mood of the country was optimistic

3

: a distinctive atmosphere or context

the dark mood of the movie

mood

2 of 2 noun

: a set of forms of a verb that show whether the action or state expressed is to be thought of as a fact, a command, or a wish or possibility

Etymology

Noun

Old English mōd "a state of mind"

Noun

an altered form of mode

Medical Definition

mood

noun

ˈmüd 

: a conscious state of mind or predominant emotion : affective state : feeling sense 3