happiness
Americannoun
-
happiness
plural
-
the quality or state of being happy.
- Synonyms:
- satisfaction, enjoyment, delight, contentedness, bliss, exhilaration, joy, pleasure
- Antonyms:
- misery
-
good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.
- Synonyms:
- delight, contentedness, bliss, exhilaration, joy, pleasure, satisfaction, enjoyment
Synonym Usage
Happiness, bliss, contentment, felicity imply an active or passive state of pleasure or pleasurable satisfaction. Happiness results from the possession or attainment of what one considers good: the happiness of visiting one's family. Bliss is unalloyed happiness or supreme delight: the bliss of perfect companionship. Contentment is a peaceful kind of happiness in which one rests without desires, even though every wish may not have been gratified: contentment in one's surroundings. Felicity is a formal word for happiness of an especially fortunate or intense kind: to wish a young couple felicity in life.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of happiness
Compare meaning
How does happiness compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Happiness is that feeling that comes over you when you know life is good and you can't help but smile. It's the opposite of sadness. Happiness is a sense of well-being, joy, or contentment. When people are successful, or safe, or lucky, they feel happiness. The "pursuit of happiness" is something this country is based on, and different people feel happiness for different reasons. Whenever doing something causes happiness, people usually want to do more of it. No one ever complained about feeling too much happiness.
Vocabulary lists containing happiness
President Obama's second inaugural address
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UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #12
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ness
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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.
"I barely slept last night, woke up today and just felt such a sense of reinvigorated hope and happiness and lightness," said Emma Dutremble, 26, who works in sales.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
We all know recollections may vary, but if he made a fuss about his generosity and happiness for you at your wedding, there will be enough witnesses to attest to the nature of the transaction.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
Grealish's happiness with life at Everton was illustrated when he decided against returning to City, continuing his rehabilitation at Finch Farm rather than going back to Etihad Stadium.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
“You understand that your performance as a team directly impacts the happiness of the people in the state and the city,” team captain Christian Yelich said, “and you don’t take that for granted.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
And with that he got in his car and left, taking the sound of Taylor Swift and the smell of burgers and fries and happiness with him.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
