mood

n.

1. A state of mind

   frame of mind, state, condition, temper, humor, temperament, spirits, disposition, inclination, caprice, whim, fancy, vein, spirit, feeling, climate, pleasure, vagary, crotchet, freak, wish, desire, attitude, mind-set, bent, propensity, tendency; see also attitude 2.

2. Grammatical mode

   aspect, inflection, mode.

   Moods in English grammar include: indicative, subjunctive, imperative, interrogative, conditional, potential.

mood is the broadest of these terms referring to a temporary state of mind and emphasizes the constraining or pervading quality of the feeling she's in a merry mood; humor emphasizes the variability or capriciousness of the mood he wept and laughed as his humor moved him; temper, in this comparison, applies to a mood characterized by a single, strong emotion, esp. that of anger my, you're in a nasty temper!; vein suggests a transient mood, often one manifested in speech, writing, action, etc. if I may speak in a serious vein for a moment