Passions: reactions and emotions

1. Here are some verbs which refer to having a strong desire that is hard to control
_ Pregnant (adj) women crave/ have a craving for strange things like tuna and banana pizza! (crave v- khao khát, thèm; nài xin, cầu khẩn)
_ I still hanker after/ have a hankering for a bright red sports car (v- thèm muốn). (hanker is especially use about something you cannot have)
_ Young children often seem to thirst/ have a thirst for knowledge. (to hunger v- cảm thấy đói; nhịn đói) (to hunger for can also be used in the same way as to thirst for)
_ Sometimes my cousin just yearns to be on her own with no family responsibilities. (v- mong ước)
_ An Olympic gold is probably the most coveted (v- thèm muốn) sporting prize. (To covet something means to want to posses it very much)

2. Here are some verbs describing ways of reacting to other people's emotions (cảm xúc).

to defuse (v) xoa dịu, làm lắng dịu
to placate (v) xoa dịu ai, làm cho ai bớt giận
to conciliate (v) giảng hòa, thu phục được
to appease (v) khuyên giải, làm cho nguội, an ủi

3. Here are some more words which refer to being extremely happy:
to rejoice (v) be extremely happy
_ Everyone rejoiced at the news of her recovery.
exultant (adj) hân hoan (feeling great pleasure and happiness, usually because of a success)
_ Sarah was in an exultant mood for weeks after doing so well in her exams.
jubilant (adj) vui sướng, mừng rỡ (expressing great happiness especially at a victory)
_ There were jubilant shouts as the results of the referendum were announced.
rapture (n) sung sướng vô ngần, trạng thái mê ly (extreme pleasure or happiness) (rapturous adj-)
_ He listened to the opera with an expression of pure (adj- trong lành) rapture on his face.
bliss (n) hạnh phúc, niềm vui sướng nhất (blissful -adj-) (Note that the adverb blissfully collocates strongly with happy, ignorant and unaware)
_ They are blissfully happy even though they're poor.

There are a number of colloquial expressions with mean to be very happy:
_ You look full of the joys of spring today.
_ My daughter's just had a baby girl. We're thrilled to bits at the news.
_ I feel on top of the world. It's great to have a job again.
_ I've been floating/ walking on air ever since I heard I got into drama school.
_ How did you feel when you scored the winning goal? - I was over the moon!