mood

mood or mode, in verb inflection , the forms of a verb that indicate its manner of doing or being. In English the forms are called indicative (for direct statement or question or to express an uncertain condition, e.g., If they do not send it, we cannot go ), imperative (for commands), and subjunctive (for sentences suggesting doubt, condition, or a situation contrary to fact, e.g., If I were king … , or He asked that it be done ). The infinitive (nonpersonal, generalizing) is sometimes considered an example of mood, as are phrases formed with the auxiliaries may, might, can, and could (termed the potential mood); should and would (conditional); and must and ought (obligative). These names of moods are often used for similar categories in other languages, and many languages are far richer in analogous patterns than Romance languages; moods commonly found in other languages are narrative, quotative, mythical, desiderative, optative, and negative. In standard English the verb to be has special modal inflections.

mood1 † mind, thought, feeling OE.; † pride OE.; † anger XII; frame of mind, disposition. OE. mōd, corr. (with variety of gender) to OS. mōd (Du. moed), OHG. muot (G. mut), ON. móōr anger, grief, Goth. mōþs, mōd- anger, emotion:- Gmc. *mōaz, *mōam, of unkn. orig.
Hence moody † brave, † proud OE.; † angry XII; subject to fits of ill humour, etc. XVI.

mood¹ / moōd/ • n. a temporary state of mind or feeling: he appeared to be in a very good mood about something. ∎  an angry, irritable, or sullen state of mind: he was obviously in a mood. ∎  the atmosphere or pervading tone of something, esp. a work of art: Monet's “Mornings on the Seine” series, with their hushed and delicate mood. • adj. (esp. of music) inducing or suggestive of a particular feeling or state of mind: mood music | a Chekhov mood piece. PHRASES: in the mood for (or to do) something feeling like doing or experiencing something: if you're in the mood for an extra thrill, you can go paragliding. in no mood for (or to do) something not wanting to do or experience something: she was in no mood for sightseeing. mood² • n. 1. Gram. a category of verb use, typically expressing fact (indicative mood), command (imperative mood), question (interrogative mood), wish (optative mood), or conditionality (subjunctive mood). ∎  a form or set of forms of a verb in an inflected language such as French, Latin, or Greek, serving to indicate whether it expresses fact, command, wish, or conditionality. 2. Logic any of the valid forms into which each of the figures of a categorical syllogism may occur.