Human Emotion Ontology (HEO) · Schema version 1.0.0
This document shows the conceptual hierarchy from the superordinate category down to specific states. The authoritative machine-readable version is derivable from subtype_of edges in data/relationships.json; this tree is a curated reading of it. Bold nodes are category roots or groupers; indentation means subtype_of.
affect
├── abstract.core_affect (valence · arousal · dominance · approach/avoidance)
├── abstract.feeling (the subjective component)
├── abstract.mood (diffuse, enduring)
├── abstract.appraisal_process (cognitive evaluation)
├── cat.emotion
│ ├── grp.basic_emotion
│ │ ├── emotion.joy (elation → ecstasy; delight; glee)
│ │ ├── emotion.sadness (sorrow → grief; dejection; melancholy)
│ │ ├── emotion.fear (fright → terror → panic; horror)
│ │ ├── emotion.anger (irritation → rage → fury)
│ │ ├── emotion.disgust (revulsion; loathing; distaste)
│ │ ├── emotion.surprise (amazement; astonishment; startle)
│ │ ├── emotion.interest (curiosity → fascination)
│ │ ├── emotion.anticipation (eagerness; expectation)
│ │ ├── emotion.trust (security; faith)
│ │ └── emotion.contempt (disdain; scorn)
│ ├── grp.positive_emotion
│ │ ├── happiness · contentment · serenity · calmness · relief · satisfaction
│ │ ├── pleasure · delight · elation · euphoria · bliss · ecstasy
│ │ ├── excitement · enthusiasm · eagerness · thrill · zest · cheerfulness
│ │ ├── amusement · mirth · glee · playfulness · lightheartedness
│ │ ├── optimism · hope · courage · confidence · triumph · vindication
│ │ ├── admiration · adoration · reverence · devotion · faith
│ │ ├── awe · wonder · amazement · fascination · aesthetic appreciation · aesthetic chills
│ │ ├── security · safety · comfort · coziness
│ │ ├── affection · warmth · friendliness · tenderness · love · romantic love
│ │ │ (infatuation · limerence · attachment · compassionate love)
│ │ └── gratitude · appreciation · elevation · inspiration · generosity
│ ├── grp.negative_emotion
│ │ ├── anger family: rage · fury · irritation · annoyance · frustration ·
│ │ │ exasperation · hostility · hatred · animosity · enmity · spite · malice
│ │ ├── fear family: fright · terror · panic · alarm · dread · horror · startle ·
│ │ │ shock · anxiety · worry · concern · apprehension · unease ·
│ │ │ nervousness · trepidation · angst · agitation · overwhelm
│ │ ├── sadness family: grief · sorrow · misery · anguish · despair · hopelessness ·
│ │ │ dejection · melancholy · gloom · loneliness · homesickness · heartbreak ·
│ │ │ disappointment · disillusionment · discouragement · dismay · emptiness · numbness
│ │ ├── disgust family: revulsion · repulsion · aversion · distaste · loathing
│ │ ├── low-arousal negative: boredom · ennui · apathy · indifference · listlessness · lethargy
│ │ ├── epistemic negative: confusion · perplexity · bewilderment · disorientation ·
│ │ │ uncertainty · doubt · suspicion · distrust
│ │ └── contempt family: disdain · scorn · derision · condescension · superiority · hubris · arrogance
│ ├── grp.social_emotion
│ │ ├── jealousy · romantic jealousy · envy · covetousness · resentment
│ │ ├── schadenfreude · gloating · smugness
│ │ ├── belonging · rejection · betrayal · loyalty · solidarity · competitiveness
│ │ ├── compassion · sympathy · pity · empathy · personal distress · caring
│ │ └── trust · distrust · suspicion · hostility · animosity · enmity
│ ├── grp.self_conscious_emotion
│ │ ├── guilt · shame · embarrassment · humiliation · self-consciousness · shyness
│ │ ├── pride · hubris · humility · modesty-ish states
│ │ └── inferiority · inadequacy · self-disgust · anger at self
│ ├── grp.moral_emotion
│ │ ├── indignation · outrage · moral disgust · condemnation · self-righteousness
│ │ ├── elevation · gratitude · forgiveness · mercy · compassion · altruism
│ │ └── guilt · shame · pride · contempt · resentment · vindictiveness
│ ├── grp.epistemic_emotion
│ │ ├── curiosity · interest · fascination · wonder
│ │ ├── confusion · uncertainty · doubt · skepticism · certainty
│ │ └── insight · surprise · amazement
│ ├── grp.aesthetic_emotion
│ │ ├── awe · wonder · sublime · aesthetic appreciation · aesthetic chills ·
│ │ │ entrancement · musical emotion
│ ├── grp.prospective_emotion
│ │ ├── hope · optimism · dread · anticipation · expectation · eagerness · impatience
│ │ ├── anxiety · worry · concern · apprehension · pessimism · fatalism · resignation
│ ├── grp.retrospective_emotion
│ │ ├── nostalgia · wistfulness · longing · yearning · homesickness · regret · remorse
│ │ ├── relief · satisfaction · pride · triumph · vindication
│ ├── grp.mixed_emotion
│ │ ├── nostalgia · wistfulness · melancholy · longing · ambivalence · mixed feelings
│ │ └── heartbreak · romantic longing · thrill · schadenfreude · being moved
│ ├── grp.empathic_emotion
│ │ ├── compassion · sympathy · pity · empathy · concern · personal distress
│ │ ├── tenderness · caring · being moved (kama muta) · elevation
│ ├── grp.cultural_emotion
│ │ ├── saudade (PT) · amae (JA) · litost (CS) · toska (RU) · hiraeth (CY) ·
│ │ │ sehnsucht (DE) · fernweh (DE) · hygge (DA) · gezellig (NL) · naches (YI) ·
│ │ │ fago/liget/song/ker (Ifaluk) · awumbuk (Baining) · gigil (TL) ·
│ │ │ kaukokaipuu (FI) · mamihlapinatapai (YAG) · sisu (FI) · duende (ES) ·
│ │ │ natsukashii (JA) · malu (DUSUN) · greng jai (TH) · torschlusspanik (DE) ·
│ │ │ ikigai (JA) · ubuntu (Nguni)
│ └── blends with dedicated nodes: love, submission, disapproval, aggressiveness,
│ optimism, pessimism, cynicism, fatalism, contempt, remorse, envy, hope, delight
├── cat.mood — cheerful · irritable · anxious · depressed · serene · tense · euphoric ·
│ │ melancholic · grumpy · upbeat · blue · blah · restless · optimistic · weary ·
│ │ agitated · lethargic
├── cat.feeling — tension · relaxation · restlessness · heaviness · lightness
├── cat.drive — hunger · thirst · sleepiness · fatigue · lust · craving · urge · exploration
├── cat.need — safety · relatedness · competence · autonomy · esteem · meaning
├── cat.motivation — approach · avoidance · achievement · affiliation · power · reparation · self-protection
├── cat.desire — wanting · connection · recognition · escape
├── cat.appraisal — threat · loss · injustice · goal_blocked · goal_attained · self_blame ·
│ │ other_blame · uncertainty · certainty · control_low · control_high ·
│ │ agency_self · agency_other · social_comparison_upward/downward ·
│ │ fairness_violation · moral_violation · novelty · unexpectedness ·
│ │ vastness · communal_sharing_intensified · coping_potential_low/high
├── cat.physiological_state — sympathetic_arousal · parasympathetic_calm · fight_flight ·
│ │ tend_befriend · startle_reflex · crying · laughing ·
│ │ heart_racing · goosebumps · trembling · flushing · nausea ·
│ │ pain · muscle_tension
├── cat.behavioral_tendency — approach · avoidance · escape · attack · aggression · freeze ·
│ │ affiliation · helping · withdrawal · hiding · appeasement ·
│ │ submission · dominance_display · reparation · social_sharing
├── cat.trait — neuroticism · extraversion · openness · conscientiousness · agreeableness ·
│ │ positive/negative affectivity · trait anxiety/anger · dispositional optimism ·
│ │ BIS/BAS · emotional granularity · alexithymia
├── cat.mental_state — flow · absorption · mind_wandering · rumination · alertness ·
│ │ vigilance · attentional_focus
├── cat.affective_system — SEEKING · FEAR · RAGE · LUST · CARE · PANIC/GRIEF · PLAY (Panksepp)
├── cat.sentiment — love (as attitude) · hatred · loyalty · attachment · respect (as attitude)
└── cat.meta_state — ambivalence · mixed feelings · emotional clarity · emotion regulationsimilar_to, near_synonym_of) gives a denser, non-hierarchical web — e.g., emotion.anxiety is similar to emotion.fear, emotion.worry, emotion.apprehension, mood.anxious, and emotion.dread, none of which are its subclasses.
love ← joy, trust; awe ← fear, surprise (contested); nostalgia ← joy, sadness.
form the temporal layer: see 02-ontology-design.md §2.5 and the transition chains in tools/edges.py.
Coverage note: the taxonomy intentionally includes non-emotion categories (drives, appraisals, traits, physiological states, behavioral tendencies) so that emotions can be explained by their components rather than only listed. Query the graph with WHERE category = 'emotion' to isolate the purely emotional hierarchy.