Inventing an emotion feels good mainly because it turns a feeling that is hard to describe into something you can play with, name, and picture. Historian Katie Barclay treats this as a creative practice in her 2026 article “Imagining Neo-Emotions: Historical Perspectives,” published in Emotion Review (July 2026 issue). Her account explains the appeal well. It does not show that coining a word creates a new feeling or improves mood, and the published work on this practice is historical and conceptual rather than a controlled test.
What “inventing an emotion” means
Barclay defines neo-emotions as “invented terms that express emotional experiences that are novel or that have not previously been labeled.” The phrase covers two different activities. In the first, someone gives a familiar but unnamed mixture of feelings a memorable word. In the second, someone uses a prompt to imagine a less familiar state and then tries to feel it. Barclay acknowledges that the line between inventing and naming is blurry: some examples presented as new emotions are better understood as labels for experiences people already recognize.
“Spillease”: frustration and relief in one moment
The article discusses “spillease,” a proposed term for the mix of frustration and relief you feel after spilling something in a pristine car. The word compresses a whole situation, including the sting of the mess and the odd lightness that comes once the accident is out of the way, into a single playful label. The term illustrates how a coined word can make a common mixed feeling easier to point at. It does not establish a new emotion category.
“Chiplessness”: reaching into an empty bag
Lisa Feldman Barrett’s “chiplessness” describes the disappointment, relief, guilt, and hunger that come with reaching into an empty chip bag. Most people will recognize the feeling at once, which is the point of the term. The label works because it bundles several reactions that usually go unnamed.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
- Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
- Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
- 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.
“Velvetmist”: a chatbot-generated imagined state
Barclay also recounts a social-media user who tried a chatbot-generated imagined state called “velvetmist.” The person followed sensory prompts and reported experiencing the state. This is an anecdote, not an experiment. It shows how suggestion and imaginative participation can work together. It is not evidence that a chatbot reliably produces emotions, and the report cannot separate the effect of the word from the effect of the surrounding prompt.
Why it can feel good
These four explanations are interpretations drawn from Barclay’s historical analysis and related studies of emotion language. No single mechanism has been proven.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
- Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
- Play removes the pressure to get the label right. Barclay argues that emotion has often been studied as serious business. Neo-emotion practices make room for silliness, novelty, and enjoyment, so the task becomes a small creative game rather than a test of self-knowledge.
- A new label can make a vague mixture feel legible. A name gives the mind a compact handle for revisiting and describing an experience. Reviews of emotion language describe words as tools for communicating how a person feels, what may have prompted the feeling, and what response might follow.
- Imagining can direct attention. A prompt that supplies a name, a scene, music, or sensory cues steers attention toward certain bodily sensations and interpretations. Picking out which sensation belongs to which feeling can itself be absorbing.
- Discovery does not require a permanent category. A coined term can be useful for one person or one moment even if it never enters everyday language. Barclay’s historical account stresses that emotional vocabularies shift over time and that playful experiments are often brief.
Where emotional granularity fits
Emotional granularity is the ability to experience emotions in a precise, context-specific way. A 2021 review, “Cultivating Emotional Granularity” in Frontiers in Psychology, argues that language can help people build more detailed emotion concepts. A broad word such as “bad” can leave several possibilities blurred together. A more situated description can point toward a response that fits the actual cause. The review offers two examples: telling annoyance apart from fury, and noticing that fatigue is driving an argument so that you choose to rest before re-engaging.
The same review warns that granularity is not automatically helpful. Its value depends on the goal guiding it. If that goal is misaligned with well-being, a precise label is no guarantee of a better outcome. A detailed word for the urge to get revenge, for example, does not make revenge healthier. A 2022 article in Frontiers in Psychology, “Emotional Nuance: Examining Positive Emotional Granularity and Well-Being,” belongs to the same line of work, looking at fine-grained positive emotion and well-being. It is background, not a test of invented emotions.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Emotion words do more than one job
A 2024 review chapter, “What’s in an emotion word? The multiple roles of labeling in emotional functioning and well-being,” describes labels as serving several different functions:
- Expression and communication: telling someone else what you are going through.
- Categorization: sorting an experience into a kind you recognize.
- Regulation: helping you respond to or change the experience.
- Attention: reflecting, and sometimes shaping, where your focus goes.
These functions can have different effects, so a word that is delightful to coin may do little for regulation, and a word that helps you regulate may not be fun to invent. The chapter also lists open questions about how emotion language works, which is why its authors keep their claims cautious.
Rank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
What the evidence does and does not show
- Barclay’s 2026 article is the most direct source on neo-emotions. It is conceptual and historical, built on examples and reported experiences rather than measured outcomes.
- The other sources concern emotion words, labeling, granularity, and well-being in general. They supply context but do not test emotion invention directly.
- No controlled experiment has shown that inventing emotion words causes pleasure, creates new emotional states, or improves well-being.
- No published statistic measures how many people enjoy the practice, how often it happens, or how well it works. Any claim about prevalence or success rate would go beyond the available evidence.
- A vivid anecdote, a plausible theory, and a measured causal effect are three different things. The velvetmist report and the spillease and chiplessness examples fall under the first two.
Try an invention exercise
Barclay discusses an exercise titled “Invent Your Own Emotion,” and she says the exercise was inspired by Lisa Feldman Barrett’s book How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain. If you want to read further on emotion concepts, that book is a starting point, though it is not a guide to creating emotions. The steps below follow the same logic as the exercise:
- Pick a moment that felt mixed. Choose something small and recent, such as a minor mishap or a letdown with a strange upside.
- Describe it in plain words. Write what happened, what you felt in your body, and what you wanted to do next.
- Coin a name. Keep it short and playful. It does not need to be accurate in any official sense.
- Write the scene that brings it on. Add a setting, a sound, a texture, or a smell. These cues are part of the experiment.
- Test the name against your own experience. Read it back and notice whether it matches the moment, or only sounds clever.
- Decide what the word is for. Keep it as a private joke, share it with someone, or drop it once it has done its job.
Four questions help you notice what is actually happening as you play:
Recommended Free Tools
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
- Are you naming a recognizable feeling you struggle to describe, or imagining a state you have never felt?
- Is the exercise solo reflection, or are you doing it with other people?
- Which part does the work, the word itself or the surrounding sensory and story cues?
- Is the pleasure immediate amusement, or does the word also give you clarity you can use later?
Those questions matter because the enjoyment and the usefulness may come from different places. The pleasure is easy to observe in the moment. Whether a coined word helps you understand or respond to a situation is a separate question that you will have to answer from your own experience.
Barclay’s historical view is that emotional vocabularies shift and that experiments with them are often brief. That makes invention a low-stakes way to pay attention to feelings you would otherwise leave unnamed, and a reasonable explanation for why the act feels so good, even though the claim that a word produces a new feeling remains unproven.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
