What is a prolonged emotional state that influences one's whole personality and life functioning called?

The term "mood" refers to a prolonged emotional state that significantly influences an individual's overall personality and functioning in daily life. Unlike transient emotions, which are often short-lived and situation-specific, a mood can last for an extended period, impacting a person's outlook, behavior, and interactions with others. Moods can be classified as positive (such as happiness or contentment) or negative (such as sadness or irritability), and they represent a broader and more enduring emotional condition.

In contrast, emotions are typically specific responses to particular stimuli and can fluctuate rapidly. Feelings are often more subjective experiences and may be responses to moods or emotions. Sentiment usually refers to a more complex state encompassing feelings or emotional responses and often relates to attitudes or opinions held over time, but it does not encapsulate the broader impact on personality and functioning that a mood does.