hap ‧ pi ‧ ness /ˈhæpinəs, ˈhæpinɪs/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ happiness ≠ ↑ unhappiness ; adverb : ↑ happily ≠ ↑ unhappily ; adjective : ↑ happy ≠ ↑ unhappy ]
the state of being happy:
Juliet’s eyes shone with happiness.
We want our children to have the best possible chance of happiness.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ great happiness (=a lot of happiness)
His grandchildren bring him great happiness.
▪ true/real happiness (=having all the qualities which happiness should have)
At last, she found true happiness with a man she loved.
▪ perfect/pure/sheer happiness (=happiness that is as good as it can be)
The birth of my child was a moment of sheer happiness.
▪ human happiness (=happiness felt by people)
One of the greatest sources of human happiness is love.
▪ personal happiness
In Oxford, he at last found personal happiness and intellectual fulfilment.
▪ lasting happiness (=happiness that continues)
Leonie had found a lasting happiness in her relationship with Jim.
▪ future happiness
Living together before you marry is no guarantee of future happiness.
▪ domestic happiness (=happiness that comes from family relationships and life at home)
After six years with Joe, the normality of domestic happiness bored her.
▪ marital happiness (=happiness that comes from being married)
Does being similar to your wife or husband lead to marital happiness?
■ verbs
▪ find happiness
It’s a story about a music composer who unexpectedly finds happiness as a teacher.
▪ bring (somebody) happiness (=make someone happy)
He wrongly believes that money can bring happiness.
▪ achieve happiness
He would never achieve true happiness until he took control of his life.
▪ be filled with happiness
As I drove back home, I was filled with happiness.
▪ glow with happiness (=look very happy)
The bride’s face seemed to glow with happiness.
▪ wish somebody (every) happiness/wish (every) happiness to somebody (=say that you hope someone will have a happy life)
I would like you to join me in wishing every happiness to Annabelle and Steven.
■ phrases
▪ a feeling of happiness
Being by the ocean gave her a feeling of great happiness.
▪ the pursuit of happiness (=the act of trying to achieve happiness)
The Declaration of Independence guarantees ‘liberty’ and ‘the pursuit of happiness.’
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THESAURUS
▪ happiness the feeling of being happy:
Happiness is more important than money.
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I could see the happiness in her eyes.
▪ pleasure the feeling you have when you enjoy doing something, or when something happens that you enjoy:
Are you taking the trip for business or pleasure?
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His music has given pleasure to a great many people over the years.
▪ cheerfulness happy feelings, which show in your expression, your voice, and your behaviour:
'Morning, everybody!' she said with a loud cheerfulness.
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His normal cheerfulness seemed to have returned.
▪ satisfaction the feeling you have when you have done something well, or when something is as good as it should be:
She stood back and looked at her work with satisfaction.
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He gets a lot of satisfaction from helping young people in his coaching job.
▪ contentment a quietly happy and satisfied feeling:
Joey sighed with contentment, snuggling down in his warm bed.
■ great happiness
▪ joy especially written a feeling of great happiness:
The sisters hugged and cried tears of joy.
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It was a day of great joy for the whole town.
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Most people would be jumping with joy.
▪ delight the feeling you have when you are very pleased and excited because something good has happened:
They watched with delight as their new son started walking.
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To her delight, she discovered the perfect wedding present.
▪ bliss a feeling of very great happiness and great pleasure – used when something has a great effect on your senses:
Lying in the warm sun and listening to the sea felt like sheer bliss (=complete bliss) .
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Her idea of bliss is to be curled up on the sofa watching a romantic comedy with a big bowl of popcorn.
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The happy couple looked a picture of domestic bliss.
▪ elation written a feeling of great happiness and excitement, especially because you have achieved something or something good has happened to you:
As they reached the top, the climbers experienced a moment of elation.
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Her mood suddenly changed from tears and misery to a feeling of elation.
▪ euphoria an extremely strong feeling of happiness and excitement, especially because you have achieved something, or because of the effects of a drug:
The euphoria that new parents feel quickly changes to exhaustion.
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The euphoria of Ireland’s amazing victory over England last Sunday has died away.
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The drug produces a feeling of euphoria.
▪ ecstasy an extremely strong feeling of happiness and pleasure, especially sexual pleasure:
It was a moment of sheer ecstacy (=complete ecstacy) .
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the ecstasy of their love-making