bliss
1 Americannoun
-
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
noun
-
Sir Arthur (Edward Drummond), 1891–1975, English composer.
-
Tasker Howard, 1853–1930, U.S. general.
noun
-
perfect happiness; serene joy
-
the ecstatic joy of heaven
noun
Synonym Usage
See happiness.
Other Word Forms
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.
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.
See Examples For:
That looming first common, boring day after a few weeks of new bliss is gone.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
He described the past two decades without settlers around Jenin as "bliss".
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The opening “I Feel So Free” is the thesis statement, framing the club as a place that dissolves ego, lessens anxiety, and offers a portal to communal bliss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
You don’t want to alienate your mom or dad, or make them feel that you don’t support their late-in-life shot at romantic bliss.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
I passed the day eating, resting, attempting to stand and, in a general way, bathing in bliss.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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He was stunned to see his grandfather appear on screen, holding his father’s hand at the train station in Fort Bliss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Before founding Beauty Pie in 2016, Kilgore had built other brands including luxury day spa Bliss, make-up and skincare range Soap & Glory and footwear brand FitFlop.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Steve Trittschuh and Brian Bliss, who also started in the game against Trinidad and Tobago, have both coached in college and MLS.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Season 4 united Tiffany Pennywell and Brett Brown; their marriage is still going strong, as are those of fellow participants Chelsea Griffin and Kwame Appiah, and Bliss Poureetezadi and Zack Goytowski.
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026
Some family with an immense house—one floor, thirty-four or -five rooms around a Spanish-style courtyard—had invited soldiers from Fort Bliss to come for a Christmas party and dinner.
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.