happiness
happiness
Pronunciation
happiness
/ˈhæp.i.nəs/
Syllable Breakdown:
hap-: /hæp/
-pi-: /i/
-ness: /nəs/
Word Form Variations
Noun (uncountable): happiness
Adjective: happy
Adverb: happily
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
happiness
A state of well-being and contentment; a profound sense of joy and satisfaction with one's circumstances or life in general.
Synonyms: joy, contentment, bliss, delight, pleasure, euphoria, cheerfulness, gladness, felicity
Antonyms: sadness, misery, sorrow, despair, dejection, grief, unhappiness, woe
The experience or sensation derived from favorable or enjoyable events, circumstances, or interactions.
Synonyms: delight, gratification, enjoyment, satisfaction, pleasure
Antonyms: displeasure, dissatisfaction, discomfort, annoyance, pain
Adjective
happy
Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.
Synonyms: joyful, cheerful, glad, pleased, contented, delighted, ecstatic, merry, blissful
Antonyms: sad, unhappy, miserable, sorrowful, depressed, dejected, gloomy, glum
Fortunate or lucky; characterized by good fortune.
Synonyms: fortunate, lucky, propitious, opportune, serendipitous, favorable
Antonyms: unfortunate, unlucky, inauspicious, disadvantageous, ill-fated
Adverb
happily
In a happy manner; with pleasure or contentment.
Synonyms: joyfully, cheerfully, gladly, contentedly, blissfully, merrily, delightedly
Antonyms: sadly, unhappily, miserably, sorrowfully, dejectedly, gloomily
Examples of Use
Books:
"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." (Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, 1878)
"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness." (Charles Spurgeon, John Ploughman's Talk, 1878)
"The paradoxical commandments: People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for some underdogs anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway." (Mother Teresa, Mother Teresa: A Simple Path, 1990)
Newspapers:
"The recent report from the World Happiness Report highlights Finland's consistent ranking as the happiest country for the seventh consecutive year." (The Guardian, March 2024)
"Economists debate whether GDP growth truly correlates with national happiness, pointing to other factors like social support and freedom." (The Wall Street Journal, February 2024)
Online Publications:
"Five simple habits to boost your daily happiness and improve your mental well-being." (Psychology Today, April 2024)
"The science of happiness: Can positive psychology really make you happier?" (BBC Future, January 2024)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
"Pharrell Williams' song 'Happy' became a global phenomenon, its upbeat tempo and lyrics embodying pure joy." (Music video, November 2013)
The animated film Inside Out personifies emotions, with "Joy" playing a central role in a young girl's happiness. (Pixar Animation Studios, June 2015)
The Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo encourages decluttering to bring "joy" and "happiness" into one's home. (Netflix, January 2019)
General Public Discourse:
"After months of hard work, the team's happiness was palpable as they celebrated their project's successful completion."
"Many people prioritize experiences over material possessions, believing that shared moments contribute more to lasting happiness."
"Finding true happiness often involves appreciating the small things in life and fostering meaningful connections."
10 Quotes Using Happiness
"For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves." (Victor Hugo)
"Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions." (Dalai Lama XIV)
"The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters." (Audrey Hepburn)
"Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be." (Abraham Lincoln)
"Happiness is a warm gun." (John Lennon)
"There is no path to happiness: happiness is the path." (Thich Nhat Hanh)
"The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things." (Henry Ward Beecher)
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." (Albert Schweitzer)
"Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know." (Ernest Hemingway)
Etymology
The word "happiness" has a pretty interesting past! It comes from the word "happy," and if you look at where "happy" itself came from, you'll find its roots in the Old Norse word "happ." This "happ" meant "luck" or "chance."
So, originally, being "happy" literally meant being lucky or favored by fortune. Think of it like a good "hap" (a good happening) coming your way. If you had good luck, you were "happy."
The first known use of the noun "happiness" itself in English dates back to around 1473. In this early usage, "happiness" was largely understood as good fortune, success, or prosperity. It was about the favorable things that happened to you in life.
Over time, the meaning of "happiness" slowly shifted from being purely about external luck or good fortune to also include the inner feeling of pleasure and contentment we associate with it today. By the late 16th century (around the 1590s), the meaning of "happiness" as a "pleasant and contented mental state" really started to take hold.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Happiness
Pursuit of happiness: The quest or search for joy and contentment in life.
Share your happiness: To express or distribute your joy with others.
The key to happiness: The essential element or method for achieving contentment.
Pure happiness: Unadulterated and complete joy.
A picture of happiness: Someone or something that visibly embodies joy.
Beaming with happiness: Radiating intense joy.
Bursting with happiness: Overwhelmed with joy and excitement.
Cloud nine: A state of extreme happiness (uses a synonym for "happiness").
Over the moon: Extremely happy and delighted (uses a synonym).
In seventh heaven: A state of extreme joy and bliss (uses a synonym).
Tickled pink: Very pleased or amused (uses a synonym).
Walk on air: To feel extremely happy and excited (uses a synonym).
Happy camper: Someone who is content and satisfied (uses the root word).
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of happiness from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
