EQ
6 synonyms and 1 antonym for EQ, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A measure of a person's emotional intelligence: how well they recognise, understand and manage their own feelings and those of other people.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A measure of a person's emotional intelligence: how well they recognise, understand and manage their own feelings and those of other people.
“Leadership training now puts as much weight on EQ as on technical skill.”
Opposites
2. noun
In audio, the adjustment of the balance between different frequency ranges in a sound, or the equipment or software that does this.
“Add a little EQ to bring out the vocal.”
How to use EQ
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Informal in business use; the audio sense is standard jargon among musicians and engineers.
Etymology
An initialism of 'emotional quotient' in the first sense, modelled on IQ, and a shortening of 'equalisation' in the audio sense.
Full origin of EQ →