euphoria

American  

[yoo-fawr-ee-uh] / yuˈfɔr i ə /

noun

1. a state of intense happiness and self-confidence.

   She was flooded with euphoria as she went to the podium to receive her Student Research Award.

2. Psychology. a feeling of happiness, confidence, or well-being sometimes exaggerated in pathological states as mania.

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euphoria British  

/ juːˈfɒrɪk, juːˈfɔːrɪə /

noun

1. a feeling of great elation, esp when exaggerated

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Other Word Forms

• euphoric adjective

Etymology

Origin of euphoria

First recorded in 1880–85; from New Latin, from Greek euphoría “state of well-being”; eu-, -phore, -ia

Explanation

Use euphoria to describe a feeling of great happiness and well-being, but know that euphoria often more than that––it's unusually, crazy happy, over the top. Euphoria can even be classified as a mental illness. The earliest use of euphoria was to describe the relief provided by a medical procedure. The word was borrowed from New Latin, from the Greek word meaning "ability to bear easily, fertility," from euphoros "healthy," from the prefix eu- "good, well" plus pherein "to bear."

Example Sentences

Afterwards, there was a giddy euphoria among staff at the Kennedy Space Center.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

There was some euphoria in there, too, but it was not the primary aspect.

From Slate • Mar. 15, 2026

The market euphoria over AI that propelled stocks to new highs over the past three years is now giving way to fears about how the technology might ripple across the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

But the early euphoria surrounding Yunus's leadership gradually gave way to frustration at the scale of the task.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

Some of the euphoria I once felt in falling snow comes back to me; I want to open my mouth and let the snow fall into it.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• elation
• exhilaration
• frenzy
• glee
• joy
• jubilation
• relaxation