bliss

¹ American

[blis] / blɪs /

noun

supreme happiness; utter joy or contentment.

wedded bliss.

Antonyms:

misery
Theology. the joy of heaven.
heaven; paradise.

the road to eternal bliss.
Archaic. a cause of great joy or happiness.

idioms

bliss out,
1. to experience bliss or euphoria.
  
  Just give them some bean sprouts and a little tofu and they bliss out.
2. to cause to become blissful or euphoric.
  
  a recording guaranteed to bliss out every Mozart fan.

Bliss ² American

[blis] / blɪs /

noun

Sir Arthur (Edward Drummond), 1891–1975, English composer.
Tasker Howard, 1853–1930, U.S. general.

bliss ¹ British

/ blɪs /

noun

perfect happiness; serene joy
the ecstatic joy of heaven

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Bliss ² British

/ blɪs /

noun

Sir Arthur . 1891–1975, British composer; Master of the Queen's Musick (1953–75). His works include the Colour Symphony (1922), film and ballet music, and a cello concerto (1970)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See happiness.

Other Word Forms

blissless

adjective

Etymology

Origin of bliss

First recorded before 1000; Middle English blisse, Old English bliss, blīths, equivalent to blīthe blithe + -s suffix

Explanation

Bliss is a state of complete happiness or joy. Marriage is often associated with this joyous feeling: people who are married and still in love are described as living in wedded bliss. Another common association is heaven or paradise, as in eternal bliss. Bliss is from Middle English blisse, from Old English bliss, blīths. The final -s in this Old English word is actually a suffix and the word itself is related to blīthe, the source of modern English blithe, which means happy.

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Vocabulary lists containing bliss

Beowulf vocabulary

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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 1

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Enjoy! Synonyms for "Pleasure"

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Recalling the series' highlight, when he unexpectedly found himself up close with a group of mountain gorillas, Attenborough described the experience as "bliss" and "extraordinary".

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

His principal hobby, sailing the waters of coastal Massachusetts, brings him bliss.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Oblivious, Attenborough lay there in a sort of bliss.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

The stock market, however, is in a state of bliss.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

Mom chirps, and the two of them go upstairs in a fit of adolescent bliss.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023