200 Positive Words To Brighten Any Day (A To Z)

The words we choose can have far more of an impact on our mood than we might think. A 2014 study featured in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggested that speaking to ourselves in a positive way can have a range of health benefits, including helping us deal with stress and better regulate our thoughts and emotions. Moreover, Mayo Clinic claims those who use more positive words when speaking to themselves may be less likely to develop deadly infections and have better coping skills, as well as better overall cardiovascular health than those with a more negative vocabulary. However, it's worth noting there's more to be done on the hows and whys.

What we do know for sure though is that speaking positively, whether to yourself or those around you, can sometimes be easier said than done. This is especially the case when you're recycling the same bland terms over and over again, which can start to feel disingenuous and monotonous. But that's where we come in. In addition to our tips for practicing positive self-talk in a way that feels genuine, to help you embrace the power of positive words, we've gathered together 200 of the very best to brighten any day. These phrases will help you with everything from paying a sweet compliment to a friend, to affirmation-style words you can repeat to yourself in the mirror, to words of the day that will expand your optimistic vocabulary. If you're looking for positive quotes that will make your soul happy, we've got those too.

• Amazing — Something that instils a feeling of awe
• Awesome — Something very good
• Bewitching — Something that captures your attention, as if a spell has been cast
• Delicious — A thing that's tasty and impressive, usually referring to food
• Delightful — Something seriously pleasant and light, often quaint and delicate
• Enthusiastic — To get into the spirit of an occasion
• Extraordinary — Something that surpasses expectation and transcends the expected
• Fantastic — Something amazing
• Festive — A jolly and joyful feeling (often used to describe happy times around the holidays)
• Glittering — Literally meaning sparkly or eye-catching, but often used to describe something impressive and full of achievement, such as someone's career or their personality
• Glorious — Something incredible that evokes immense feelings of joy
• Happy — A feeling of immense pleasure
• Hopeful — Having a positive attitude toward the future
• Ideal — Something perfect that solves a need and needs no changes
• Incredible — Something overly amazing and awesome
• Optimistic — To feel positive about the future and believe in a good outcome
• Spectacular — Something that's deeply impressive and often grand
• Sublime — Something extremely impressive
• Terrific — Something particularly great 
• Vibrant — A person who's full of energy and life or a bright, highly saturated color

• Artistic — Someone with impressive talents in the arts
• Assured — A person who is confident and knows what they want
• Attractive — Someone who's deeply appealing to others and pulls them into their orbit (not literally, of course)
• Authentic — That person who always keeps it real and is never fake or a phony
• Captivating — A person who's able to hold other people's attention, particularly for long periods of time
• Charismatic — Someone who's eloquent and well-spoken
• Clever — An intelligent person (and a great, positive way to compliment someone without focusing on their appearance)
• Darling — Someone who's cute and adorable (this could also be a cute nickname for your best friend that they'll actually love)
• Delightful — Someone who brings sunshine to your life and has a positive, uplifting attitude
• Eloquent — A person who's well-spoken and intelligent
• Ethereal — Someone who holds a lot of class and is almost otherworldly in their beauty
• Inspirational — Someone who has done impressive things that other people want to emulate
• Magnetic — A person who attracts other people to them, usually through their delightful personality
• Revered — Someone who's highly admired and respected, usually by their peers
• Sweet — A person who's incredibly kind and positive
• Talented — Someone who is good at one, or a range, of things
• Thoughtful — A person who continually thinks of others and deeply considers their feelings
• Vivacious — An incredibly lively and enthusiastic person
• Wise — That very smart person who's always full of wisdom and advice they like to impart
• Worldly — A well-traveled, street smart, and intelligent individual who knows a lot about other cultures

• Bright — Something light and cheerful, which often depicts the idea of positivity and optimism, or a person who's very intelligent
• Classy — Something or someone who is elegant and stylish, often showing restraint
• Curious — To keep questioning and expanding your inquisitiveness
• Elevate — To reach a higher, upgraded level
• Expand — To make something bigger and know no boundaries
• Explore — To be inquisitive and excited to discover the unknown
• Faith — The belief that everything will work out for the best (usually involving a power higher than yourself)
• Fearless — To live boldly without worry or concern
• Flourish — To blossom and thrive, like a flower growing from a bulb
• Freedom — To live without boundaries and not be controlled by any one or anything
• Fun — Something that's enjoyable and evokes positive, often un-serious and unburdened feelings
• Glow — Something that gives of a steady beam of light, but in a soft, unthreatening way
• Liberty — To live in freedom without boundaries
• Motivate — To inspire and encourage yourself and others to do their best
• Onward — To move on, particularly from a negative situation
• Passion – A strong, deep combination of love and excitement
• Peace — A lack of stress and worry, and feeling of being at ease
• Perfect — When no improvement is needed
• Pure — Something innocent, untouched, and clean
• Radiant — Something beautiful that gives off a literal or figurative glow

• Brave — To help you feel strong in the face of adversity (this can also make for a great affirmation tattoo as a permanent reminder of your best self)
• Centered — A reminder to stay calm and be in touch with your own wants and needs, which can also help you embrace your emotional vulnerability
• Confident — To reaffirm a feeling of self-assurance
• Courageous — To help you feel confident enough to take on anything
• Empowered — To feel assured and confident enough to face any challenge
• Flawless — An important reminder that you're perfection 
• Free — A reminder that you're in control of your own life and all the decisions you make
• Fulfilled — A word to help you feel satisfied with the life you're living
• Grateful — A word to tell the universe you're thankful and you appreciate of the good things in life as you practice gratitude
• Lucky — To remind yourself you're fortunate and attract good things
• Mindful — To promote self-awareness and a reminder to take care of yourself and others
• Nurture — To remind yourself to take care of your mind and body
• Open-minded — A reminder to be open to other people's thoughts and feelings and trust whatever life has in store
• Powerful — To feel strong and remind yourself you can take on anything
• Proactive — A reminder to take steps to make life the best it can be under your own steam
• Rare — Because you're the only one of you, making you incredibly special
• Resilient — To remind yourself you're strong enough to take on any obstacle
• Strength — Because you're able tackle anything life throws at you
• Thankful — A reminder to remain grateful you are for life and everything in it
• Worthy — Because you're deserving of love from yourself and others, and good things

• Apricity — When the warm, winter sun on your body, which evokes a cozy feeling
• Ardent — A person who shows unwavering passion and enthusiasm
• Beamish — Someone who is cheerful and often smiling
• Commodious — Somewhere with a lot of space to spread out
• Conjubilant — When a group shouts together to express their shared joy
• Effervescent — A person who is deeply enthusiastic and lively, often with a touch of whimsy
• Efflorescence — An artist who's in a period of regularly producing their best work
• Empyrean — The pinnacle of heaven
• Entrancing — Something so intriguing it deeply captures your attention
• Expeditious — An act that's completed in a quick and efficient manner
• Exultant — The feeling of being happy and triumphant, usually in victory
• Gallant — Someone who's deeply honorable and heroic, or someone very polite
• Philostorgy — A feeling of deep love and affection, often used to describe a parent's love for their child
• Redame — The notion of returning someone's love (aka the opposite of unrequited love)
• Rejuvenate — To feel healthy, young, and rested
• Sanguine — The feeling of deep-rooted optimism, even in not so good situations
• Scrumptious — Something that's incredibly delicious, surpassing the term yummy
• Semiquincentennial — The joyous celebration of a 250th anniversary
• Vista — A gorgeous, scenic view or the idea of having a positive picture in your mind of what the future may look like
• Wunderkind (or wonderkid) — A person who sees huge success while young

• Abundant — For a plentiful and bountiful life
• Beautiful — Even in life's lowest moments, there are always breathtaking moments of beauty
• Blissful — The feeling of being tranquil and calm and not worrying about your next move
• Enchanting — The idea that life can be full of whimsy and magical moments
• Extraordinary — Because life involves miracles that exceed everyday expectations
• Fascinating — A way of describing the miracle of life and the way the it has us constantly questioning and exploring
• Fateful — The idea that things don't happen simply by chance
• Harmonious — To help you live a peaceful existence
• Limitless — To help you live a fulfilling life without boundaries or limits
• Magical — Because life is full of unexplainable miracles
• Miraculous — Because life has so many unexpected and amazing surprises
• Plenteous — The idea of having enough of everything and never wanting for anything you need
• Progressive — For a life in which you continue learning and moving forward, never stall
• Remarkable — Because life itself is so special
• Sensational — Because life has ways of surpassing all expectations
• Serendipitous — To describe the notion of good things happening due to luck and/or fate
• Special — Because every life is unique and rare
• Thriving — To help you continue to flourishing and seek out success
• Unique — Because no two lives are exactly the same, nor are any two people
• Wonderful — Because life is full of continuous wonder

• Accomplished — To have pride over something you've done well, such as reaching a goal
• Beaming — For when you can't stop smiling from ear to ear
• Blissful — To feel calm and delighted to the point you're in an almost tranquil state
• Cheerful — To feel pleased, jolly, and in a good mood
• Chipper–– For when you're in a positive, peppy mood (often one that other people pick up on)
• Ecstatic — A strong sense of overwhelming joy
• Euphoric — One of the highest levels of happiness
• Elated — To feel extremely happy
• Excited — When you're looking forward to an upcoming, positive event
• Exuberant — To feel full of energy and intense excitement
• Glad — When you're pleased, particularly after something turns out the way you were hoping
• Gratified — To feel pleased and satisfied, often after finding out about a positive outcome
• High-spirited — For when you feel extremely positive and full of life and energy
• Joy — A feeling of deep-rooted happiness
• Jubilant — To describe an intensely happy feeling, often as a joyous celebration of a major success
• Merry — That giddy, festive feeling of pure happiness
• Overjoyed — An even deeper feeling of deep-rooted happiness that suggests immense delight
• Pleased — To feel happy and content, often with a more everyday situation
• Stoked — An informal term to describe feeling excited and happy
• Thrilled — For when you're very, very happy
• Triumphant — A combination of pride and happiness, particularly after accomplishing a difficult feat

• Accommodated — For someone who always caters to your needs
• Alive — A spark between you and someone else that makes you feel animated, alert, and present
• Appreciated — For the person who constantly reminds you of how important you are to them and the world
• Believed — When someone makes you feel deeply trusted and supported
• Delighted — For when you feel extremely happy around someone or happy for their successes
• Desired — When you feel wanted by someone else, particularly romantically
• Enlightened — For when someone allows you to seeing things more clearly from a new perspective, giving you a sense of wisdom and understanding
• Enriched — When someone brings feelings of happiness and fulfilment to your life
• Fascinated — For someone who has successfully captured, and held, your attention in a major way
• Giddy — When you feel incredibly happy and excited to be around someone
• Infatuated — When you're deeply besotted and totally enchanted by someone else, often in a romantic way
• Invigorated — For feeling a new lease of life and excitement thanks to someone's enigmatic personality
• Loved — When you know you're at the other end of someone's deepest affection
• Proud — For that immense sense of happiness and satisfaction over someone else's achievements, or when they praise you in a way that makes you feel gratified
• Relaxed — To describe the feeling when you're with someone who makes you feel totally at ease and like you can be yourself
• Safe — For that person who nurtures you and helps you feel protected and secure
• Smitten — When you feel giddy and in love, usually thanks to a romantic partner or love interest
• Supported — The feeling of someone being there for you and having your back no matter what
• Validated — To feel fully supported and vindicated in your feelings
• Warm — That fuzzy, cozy feeling that comes from positive interactions with someone

• Bustling — Somewhere that's full of life and energy
• Dazzling — A place that's opulent and glamorous that captures your attention
• Divine — A classy, elegant place that evokes feelings of glamor
• Dreamy — An enchantingly beautiful location that's so perfect it can be likened to a fictional place in a dream
• Exquisite — Somewhere pleasant to look at that surpasses expectations
• Grand — Somewhere that's big and over the top (in a good way)
• Heavenly — A location so stunning it evokes high feelings of joy comparable to heaven
• Idyllic — A place that evokes deeply happy feelings due to its picturesque nature
• Lush — A location full of healthy, green vegetation that's totally thriving
• Majestic — An impressive building that stands tall and is incredibly grand
• Palatial — A grand and opulent place that's likened to a palace
• Paradisaical — A place so stunning it can be likened to paradise
• Pristine — A way of describing a location that's in excellent condition, often suggesting it's clean and unspoiled
• Scenic — A place with a stunning and often unique view, which often includes nature
• Serene — Somewhere incredibly calm and tranquil
• Sumptuous — Somewhere that's expensive-looking, luxurious, and decadent
• Tranquil — A calm, serene place that's still and incredibly quiet
• Unspoiled — Somewhere that's naturally picturesque and untouched by mankind
• Utopia — A picturesque place not too dissimilar to heaven where you want for nothing
• Whimsical — To describe somewhere unique, different, and fun

• Atemberaubend — 'Stunning' in German
• Ajabu — 'Phenomenal' in Swahili
• Blask — 'Glow' in Polish
• Fantasztikus — 'Awesome' in Hungarian
• Feliz — 'Happy' in Spanish
• Framgång — 'Success' in Swedish
• Heppinn — 'Lucky' in Icelandic
• Intrépide — 'Fearless' in French
• Kraftig — 'Powerful' in Norwegian
• Louer — 'Praise' in French
• Mabuti — 'Good' in Filipino
• Magjike — 'Magical' in Albanian
• Majestoso — 'Majestic' in Portuguese
• Malonumas — 'Delight' in Lithuanian
• Obilan — 'Abundant' in Croatian
• Olioli — 'Joy' in Samoan
• Ottimismo — 'Optimism' in Italian
• Perfecto — 'Perfect' in Spanish
• Preciosa — 'Gorgeous' in Catalan
• Stolt — 'Proud' in Danish