happiness

happiness — noun

1. the pleasant feeling you have when things are going well in your life, or when s

1.nounA2
Definition

the pleasant feeling you have when things are going well in your life, or when something makes you feel pleased, satisfied, or joyful

Example

Lucas felt a deep sense of happiness when his team won the championship.

sense of happiness — common noun + of + noun pattern

The children's laughter brought happiness to everyone in the park.

bring + happiness — verb-noun collocation

Common collocations
  • true happiness
  • pure happiness
  • find happiness
  • bring happiness
  • sb's happiness
Synonyms
  • joy

    a stronger, more intense feeling of delight, often sudden or temporary

  • contentment

    a calmer, quieter happiness that comes from being satisfied with what you have

  • bliss

    complete and perfect happiness, suggesting a very high level of joy

  • satisfaction

    a moderate feeling that comes from achieving a goal or meeting a standard

Antonyms
  • sadness

    the opposite feeling of being unhappy or sorrowful

  • misery

    a state of great suffering or unhappiness, stronger than sadness

Common Mistakes

I felt happiness when I ate the cake.
I felt happy when I ate the cake.
The adjective 'happy' is more natural for momentary feelings; 'happiness' is usually used for a deeper or longer-lasting state.
She gave me a happiness.
She gave me happiness.
'Happiness' is an uncountable noun and should not be used with 'a'.

2. an exclamation said to convey your hope for someone's joy and good fortune, espe

2.nounB1
Definition

an exclamation said to convey your hope for someone's joy and good fortune, especially after a wedding, engagement, or when moving into a new home

Example

When the couple announced their engagement, everyone raised their glasses and said, 'Happiness!'

standalone exclamation for a toast

Grandma hugged Mert and whispered, 'Happiness in your new home, dear.'

Happiness in + [noun phrase] — well-wish pattern

Grammar Patterns

Happiness! (standalone exclamation)

Happiness + to + [person]

Usage Note

Used as a friendly toast or written on a greeting card. Similar to 'Best wishes!' but specifically focuses on joy rather than general success. This sense is always said or written as an exclamation, not used as a regular noun in a sentence.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Happiness is the broadest term for a pleasant feeling of well-being. Joy is a stronger, often more sudden delight — winning a prize brings joy, while a peaceful evening brings happiness. Contentment is a quieter, calmer form of happiness that comes from being satisfied with what you already have. Bliss suggests complete, almost perfect happiness, as if nothing could be better. Satisfaction is more moderate and task-related: you feel satisfaction after completing a project, whereas happiness describes an overall emotional state. For example, 'Romi felt satisfaction at finishing the repair, but her real happiness came from her daughter's laughter.'

joy ↗contentmentblisssatisfaction ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • sense of happiness
  • wish someone happiness
  • find happiness

Prepositions

  • with happiness
  • in happiness

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

Happiness comes from the adjective 'happy', which developed from the Middle English word 'hap', meaning 'chance' or 'luck'. In early English, being 'happy' originally meant being fortunate or lucky — something good happened to you by chance. Over time, the meaning shifted from good luck to the lasting feeling of joy and well-being that we know today.